While researching one of the miners on the Western Australia Miners Memorial, I was lucky to come across, not only a photo of him but also of his wife and one of his children sitting on the verandah of their home in Victoria Street, Kalgoorlie. This was also helpful as it is hard to find photographs of houses that are identified with an address and the owner, and even better the house is still there today!
William George Brooks (always known as George), was born in Echuca Victoria in 1871 to William George Brooks (1840-1920) and Maria nee Roughan (1837-1922). He married Mary Symes in 1896 at Narrandera, New South Wales. When William and Mary married they already had a daughter, Martha Betty Brooks, born 1891 in Kempsey NSW (for some reason it appears that Martha did not come to Western Australia with the family but remained in NSW). Their second child, Emily Brooks, was born in Narrandera NSW in 1897. In 1900 the couple travelled to Western Australia. They are recorded as living in Campbell Street, Kalgoorlie in 1903. Not long after this, their third and last child was born, Alice May born in Kalgoorlie in 1904.
Mr William George Brooks with wife Mary nee Symes and baby Alice May at their home in Kalgoorlie – Photo WA Museum SLWA
George was employed at the Ivanhoe Mine, Kalgoorlie-Boulder as a Crackerman – in machinery terms, the Cracker was a large jaw crusher that broke down large pieces of rock to smaller more manageable pieces. In early less developed mines this job was done manually (sometimes with explosives), this job title would refer to someone who oversaw the breaking down large pieces of ore or mullock.
It was while George was employed in this position on the 28th April 1920, that he was to die in horrific circumstances as the following article tells:
Western Argus 4 May 1920, page 19
Western Argus 4 May 1920, page 19
MINING FATALITY – George Brooks, a cracker attendant, employed on the Ivanhoe gold mine, was killed between 7 and 8 o’clock last night, through falling into an ore breaker. No one witnessed the accident, and the exact circumstances of his death are, therefore, a mystery. From the meagre particulars available, it appears that he was last seen alive at about 7 o’clock, and that an hour later he was found lying dead in the cracker. It is thought that he must have fallen head first into the cracker, and met with almost instantaneous death. The deceased was a married man, 42 years of age, and resided with his wife and two children in Victoria street, Kalgoorlie.
During the inquest the Coroner and jurors visited the site of the accident and when they did they found that the plan that had been produced in court had been drawn ‘after’ necessary repairs had been made to the brace around the ore breaker to make it safe. He said that this was very misleading. A witness claimed that there was a large hole near the lip of the brace which over time became larger as it was not repaired and it had no covering over it. Mr Charles Williams of the Australian Workers Union, AWU, said that he has worked on the Cracker for five years and in this time only one repair had been made, he considered it to be very dangerous. He said that Mr Brooks had worked on the position also for 5 years and was very experienced. He said he had reported the danger on more than one occasion, but was told there was not enough staff to effect repairs. When asked why he stayed, he said jobs were hard to come by and it was not a good idea to speak out on the job in case he lost his livelihood.
After a lengthy retirement the jury returned and gave the following verdict: “We find that William George Brooks met his death on the Ivanhoe Gold mine between the hours of 7 and 8 o’clock on the evening of April 28 by being crushed in an ore crusher, but there has been no evidence to prove how he got there. We consider there was negligence on the company’s part in not seeing that the surroundings of the cracker were made more secure. We also consider the lights around the cracker on the night of the accident were not sufficient.”
Kalgoorlie Miner 30 April 1920, page 4
George Brooks -Kalgoorlie Cemetery – Photo Danelle Warnock
George Brooks was buried alone in the Kalgoorlie Cemetery in the Anglican section. He will be remembered by his inclusion on the Miners Memorial in the WA Museum Kalgoorlie-Boulder where is name is inscribed, see below. He also has a profile page on the Miners Memorial website so others may read about him. The following is a link to his page. The Miners Memorial website records the details of all who have been killed in the mining workplace in Western Australia in all types on mining – www.wavmm.com
Panel on the Eastern Goldfields Miners Memorial.
William George Brooks – https://www.wavmm.com/listing/william-george/
Mary was to remain in WA for some years, but by 1930 she had returned to NSW, she never re married and died in Sydney in December of that year aged 58yrs. William’s sister Alice also came to Western Australia, possibly with William and Mary. She was to marry Richard Gapes in Kalgoorlie in 1905. Sadly Williams father, also William George Brooks, was to die only two days after his son on the 30th April 1920 in Bendigo Victoria. William’s Mother, Maria ‘Mary’ Brooks also came to WA with her son and daughter. She died in 1922 aged 86yrs and is buried in the Roman Catholic section of the Kalgoorlie cemetery.
The former Brooks family home at 16 Victoria Street, Kalgoorlie – Google photos
Moya Sharp
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Hi Moya – I did say thank you so much for the George Brooks story on FaceBook – I have been rereading the story and adding some of the new information into my notes – I have finally had time! In my research I did find that Mary (George’s wife) did indeed more back to NSW but I think she may have remarried? This is something that I found:
Mary Brooks (nee Symes) remarried in 1931 to Edward Tanner in Ashfield. Edward died on 25/11/1959 at hospital, late of The Entrance. He was the beloved husband of Mary Tanner, loved father of Emily (Mrs Hurley) and Alice (Mrs Marscham), father-in-law of Jim and Bill. He was aged 92 years. Mary Tanner died on 15/6/1965 of 30 Rickard Street, Ryde, dearly loved wife of the late Edward Tanner, loved mother of Emily (Mrs Hurley) and Alice (Mrs Marscham) and mother-in-law of Jim and Bill (deceased), loved grandmother and great grandmother of their children and loved sister of Nell and Hannah, aged 87 years, cremated on 16/6/1965 at Northern Suburbs.
Another very interesting story would be about George Brooks’ sister – Alice Gapes – her court transcript trials seem to be very interesting!
Again thank you for all the information that you have found!
Robyn Ferguson rferg23@eq.edu.au
Hi Robyn Many thanks and I would love to hear about Alice Gapes.