The Island of the Dead: Uncovering Lake Austin’s Cemetery

You may wonder why the cemetery at Lake Austin in Western Australia is called “The Island”. It’s because it is located on an island within Lake Austin, a saltpan in the Murchison region. The town of Austin, now abandoned, was also situated on this island and was locally known as “Lake Austin” or “The Island Lake Austin” due to its unique geographical position. The lake and town were named after surveyor Robert Austin, the first European to explore the area in 1854. The cemetery, known as Lake Austin Island Cemetery, is one of the few remaining traces of the former gold-mining town, which was gazetted in 1895 and thrived during the Murchison gold rush before being abandoned when the gold seams were exhausted.

Lake Austin Cemetery
‘The Island’

Coordinates: -27.97441, 117.82138

Lake Austin Cemetery Sign – Photo Doug Hardman

BOURKE Peter – d 19 Sep 1894, at The Island, Lake Austin, Occ: Miner, Cause: Pneumonia, Reg: 873/1894, Buried Lake Austin Cemetery.

CARNEVALI Pietro – d 24 Sep 1902, 28 years, Cause: Died from inhaling dynamite fumes at the Golconda GM, Lake Austin, Father: Pietro CARNEVALI (Farmer), Mother: Madalena CARANZI, Married to Antonia CARMEVATI at Sondalo, Italy, Born: Italy, Reg: 1640/1902, Buried Lake Austin Cemetery. Mine Death – www.wavmm.com

CLEARY Edward – d 4 Jun 1909, 40 years, Occ: Prospector/Miner, Natural Causes, Born: Co Clare, Ireland, In NSW 2 years, In WA 18 years, Reg: Murchison 36/1909, RC, Buried Lake Austin Cemetery

CRONIN Jeremiah ‘Jerry’ – d 25 Jul 1895, 70 years, Found dead in his camp tent, Cause: Dysentery, Reg: 990/1895, Buried Lake Austin Cemetery.
The Inquirer and Commercial News – 9 Aug 1895 – A man died suddenly at ‘The Island’, Murchison Goldfields, recently, and the police, investigating the matter, found the body of a middle-aged man in a dilapidated tent, the internal arrangements of which were of the most miserable description. Inquiries were made from the men camped in the vicinity, none of whom knew the deceased by any other name than Jerry. They stated that he had lived a very hard life, affording himself very little sustenance, and was always complaining of poverty.

Two Post Office Savings Bank passbooks were found in his possession, from which it was ascertained that his correct name was Jeremiah Cronin. Hidden in his clothing, 51 sovereigns were found, together with about an ounce of gold. The pass books indicated that the deceased had £250 in the bank to his credit. Judging from his appearance, anyone would naturally have supposed him to be utterly destitute. He had no blankets and was simply covered with sacks. The deceased appeared to have suffered severely from dysentery. Dr. Ramsay considered an inquest unnecessary, feeling confident that the man had died from natural causes.

John Hicks – Plaque by Outback Graves

HICKS John – d 11 Nov 1898, 46 years, Occ: Painter and Miner, at Lake Austin GM, Cause: by the accidental fall of earth in the claim which he was working and that no blame attached to anyone, Born: Canada, from Adelaide SA, In WA 6yrs, Reg: 1569/1898, Buried Lake Austin Cemetery. Mine Death – www.wavmm.

Phillip P HUTTON – Photo Danelle Warnock

HUTTON Philip Pavy – d 11 Jan 1897, 25 years, Occ: Miner, Found dead in his camp, Cause: Asphyxia while having an epileptic fit and a fall compressing his throat against the table, Father: David John HUTTON, Mother: Sarah, Born: Mintaro SA, Reg: 1448/1897, Buried Lake Austin Cemetery.

HJAARTSON Sven – d 12 Feb 1896, 61 years, Reg: 1047/1896, (Registered as HYARTONSEN & JOHNSON), Buried: Lake Austin Cemetery.

KAY Robert James – d 18 Apr 1904, 7 months, at Lake Austin, Father: Robert Alexander KAY, Mother: Catherine BENNETT, Reg: 1549/1904, Buried: Lake Austin Cemetery.

MCKAY James – d 8 Oct 1896, 50 years, at the entrance of the Golconda Mine, Cause: Rupture of blood vessel in brain, Buried by Charles MANNERS, Reg: 1097/1896, Buried Lake Austin Cemetery

William ‘Willie’ Thomas Moate – Photo Danelle Warnock

MOATE William Thomas ‘Willie’ –  d 30 Nov 1901, 37 years, at Alluvial workings, Island of Lake Austin WA, Cause: Suffocation by fall of earth, Verdict of Coroners Jury at Lake Austin, He was working single-handed under a bench of ground only a few feet from the surface, taking out a seam of alluvial, when it came away and crushed him, Single, Father: Richard Thomas MOATE, Mother: Louisa CORBY, Born: Jamieson VIC, Reg: 1516/1901, Buried: Lake Austin Cemetery. Mine Death www.wavmm.com

Patrick Philbin – Photo Danelle Warnock

PHILBIN Patrick – d 19 Jul 1895, 51 years, Occ: Licensee of the Miners Arms Hotel, Cause: Cerebral Haemorrhage and coma, Born: Iceland, Death registered by his son J PHILBIN (Store Assistant), Reg: Murchison 189/1895, Buried Lake Austin Cemetery.

PINKNEY Alfred Henry – d c 18 Jan 1894, 38 years, near Webbs Patch, The Island, Cause: Suicide, cut his own throat when lost in the bush on the 14^th January due to temporary insanity brought on by thirst and heat, Father: Isaac Hitchcock PINKNEY, Mother: Caroline ZOBEL, Born: Adelaide SA in 1855, Married twice: 1^st Margaret WHELON in 1877 at Frome, South Australia, 2^nd to Agnes Sarah BEATTIE in 1893 at Kalgoorlie WA, Children: 1^st Marr: Helen Florence b 1878, Issac Samuel b 1880, Samuel Daniel b 1880, George Henry b 1881, Frederick James b 1883, Caroline Annie Olga b 1884, 2nd Marr: Alice Ruby b 1892, Ellen Mary b 1894, Reg: 230/1894, Buried Lake Austin Cemetery.

RINALDI Lorenzo – d 30 Jan 1895, 30 years, at The Island, Occ: Wood carter, Cause: Killed when kicked by a horse, Reg: Murchison 64/1895, Buried: Lake Austin Cemetery.

ROBERTS Owen – d c 2 Dec 1893, about 40 years, Occ: Prospector, Cause: Suicide while very drunk, about 12 miles from Cue, strangled himself with his own belt strung from a mulga tree, From NSW, Reg: 969/1893, Buried Lake Austin Cemetery.

WALSH John – d 9 May 1908, 63 years, at Lake Austin, Reg: Murchison 26/1908, Buried Lake Austin Cemetery.

Lake Austin Cemetery – photo Doug Hardman

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