Remembering Thomas Rossiter

In December 1924 there were many reports in rural newspapers announcing the accidental death of  Thomas Rossiter, a 16 year old youth.

1924 'FATAL GUN EXPLOSION', Northern Star (Lismore, NSW : 1876 - 1954), 2 December, p. 5. , viewed 09 Dec 2024, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article93466583

While those articles gave little information on  the circumstances surrounding Thomas' death the reports of the subsequent  funeral  and coronial enquiry relate the story of this mishap.

1924 'FATAL SHOOTING', The Newcastle Sun (NSW : 1918 - 1954), 2 December, p. 1. , viewed 09 Dec 2024, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article163256624

1924 'LAKE SHOOTING ACCIDENT', Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners' Advocate (NSW : 1876 - 1954), 9 December, p. 4. , viewed 09 Dec 2024, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article137774378

Thomas Leslie James Rossiter was interred in Catherine Hill Bay Cemetery/
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/152864907/thomas-james_leslie-rossiter

Thanks to reader and local historian, Ros Cheetham, who after reading this post supplied a current image of  Thomas' grave.

Photo by Ros Cheetham - August 2024

Around the Lake on Christmas Eve

 On Christmas Eve we reflect on times past. Several local events were reported in the news in days gone by.  We found these on Trove.

1908 'Hotel Tragedy.', The Gloucester Advocate (NSW : 1905 - 1954), 21 March, p. 11. , viewed 23 Dec 2022, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article156563479

1919 'TORONTO.', Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners' Advocate (NSW : 1876 - 1954), 3 January, p. 5. , viewed 23 Dec 2022, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article139649488

1930 'Lake Yachts', The Newcastle Sun (NSW : 1918 - 1954), 29 December, p. 8. , viewed 23 Dec 2022, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article164217040

1933 'AT THE LAKE.', Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners' Advocate (NSW : 1876 - 1954), 27 December, p. 4. , viewed 23 Dec 2022, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article136677506

1936 'Accident Victim', The Newcastle Sun (NSW : 1918 - 1954), 6 January, p. 5. , viewed 23 Dec 2022, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article166486890

1949 'Christmas Tree For Arcadia Vale', Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners' Advocate (NSW : 1876 - 1954), 13 December, p. 4. , viewed 23 Dec 2022, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article134173127

1939 'PERSONAL', Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners' Advocate (NSW : 1876 - 1954), 14 December, p. 6. , viewed 23 Dec 2022, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article135454094

Sad end for Henry Humble

 Newspaper articles on Trove reported on the death of Henry Humble of Charlestown in 1952.

1952 'BURNS FATAL', Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners' Advocate (NSW : 1876 - 1954), 21 August, p. 2. , viewed 01 Dec 2022, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article133185149

1952 'Family Notices', Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners' Advocate (NSW : 1876 - 1954), 21 August, p. 2. , viewed 01 Dec 2022, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article133185154

Trove Tuesday 100 Years Ago

Some of the stories about Lake Mac People printed a hundred years ago this week in the Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners' Advocate (NSW : 1876 - 1954) on Trove

Do you recognise any of these local names?

1922 'DISTRICT NEWS.', Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners' Advocate (NSW : 1876 - 1954), 1 November, p. 5. , viewed 15 Nov 2022, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article140008136

1922 'Family Notices', Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners' Advocate (NSW : 1876 - 1954), 16 November, p. 4. , viewed 15 Nov 2022, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article140014308

1922 'TERALBA', Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners' Advocate (NSW : 1876 - 1954), 13 November, p. 6. , viewed 15 Nov 2022, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article140009934

1922 'CARDIFF.', Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners' Advocate (NSW : 1876 - 1954), 16 November, p. 5. , viewed 15 Nov 2022, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article140014290

1922 'TORONTO', Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners' Advocate (NSW : 1876 - 1954), 13 November, p. 6. , viewed 15 Nov 2022, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article140009932

Trove Tuesday - St Joseph's Convalescent Home

 St Joseph's Convalescent Home in Morisset is mentioned several times in Trove. 

Worker injured at the home.

1935 'WORKMAN INJURED', Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners' Advocate (NSW : 1876 - 1954), 9 February, p. 8. , viewed 08 Nov 2022, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article136851313

The following poem was published in 1938.

1938 'Rest Home by the Lake Side.', Catholic Freeman's Journal (Sydney, NSW : 1932 - 1942), 7 April, p. 14. , viewed 08 Nov 2022, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article146422894

Former Chaplain passes away.

1941 'Of General Interest', Advocate (Melbourne, Vic. : 1868 - 1954), 22 May, p. 6. , viewed 08 Nov 2022, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article172192002

An obituary for one of the residents

1945 'OBITUARY Two Senior Members of the Little Company of Mary', Southern Cross (Adelaide, SA : 1889 - 1954), 19 January, p. 9. , viewed 08 Nov 2022, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article167786883

Obituary for a resident.

1946 'Father Hilly Dies In Retirement', Catholic Weekly (Sydney, NSW : 1942 - 1954), 10 January, p. 5. , viewed 08 Nov 2022, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article146485510

In 1947 plans were put forward to use the property as a Boys' Home.

(Read full article from link below)

1947 'NEW CATHOLIC TRAINING CENTRE FOR SUB-NORMAL BOYS', Catholic Weekly (Sydney, NSW : 1942 - 1954), 25 December, p. 1. , viewed 08 Nov 2022, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article146600513

Film of activities at the boys' home.

1952 'NEWCASTLE', Catholic Weekly (Sydney, NSW : 1942 - 1954), 3 April, p. 10. , viewed 08 Nov 2022, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article147083371

Is this property still standing? Is it still owned by the Catholic Church?

Trove Tuesday - Steelworks accident

 Thomas Thoroughgood of Croudace Bay was one of a number of Lake Macquarie residents who suffered a workplace accident. 

1944 'MAN KILLED AT STEEL WORKS', The Newcastle Sun (NSW : 1918 - 1954), 2 March, p. 2. , viewed 15 Mar 2022, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article167583292

1944 'STEEL WORKER'S DEATH WAS ACCIDENTAL', The Newcastle Sun (NSW : 1918 - 1954), 29 March, p. 2. , viewed 15 Mar 2022, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article167611583

1944 'Family Notices', The Newcastle Sun (NSW : 1918 - 1954), 2 March, p. 2. , viewed 15 Mar 2022, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article167583183

1945 'Family Notices', Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners' Advocate (NSW : 1876 - 1954), 3 March, p. 2. , viewed 15 Mar 2022, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article135011433

Trove Tuesday - Sergeant (Sgt) Thomas Frederick (Tommy) Pickering

Found via Trove on the Australian Memorial website was this image of 

Sergeant (Sgt) Thomas Frederick (Tommy) Pickering, 9 Squadron, RAAF, of Coogee, NSW. Sgt Pickering was killed in a training accident at Lake Macquarie NSW on 5 March 1942.

https://trove.nla.gov.au/work/229149155

Further digging on Trove found no reports of the incident other than a death notice.

1942 'Family Notices', The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954), 10 March, p. 10. , viewed 15 Jun 2021, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article17791720

 Tommy is remembered on this website, https://aviationmuseumwa.org.au/afcraaf-roll/pickering-thomas-frederick-411376/.

Trove Tuesday - At the Beach

Redhead is a popular surfing beach in the Lake Macquarie City area. Trove reports on many incidents and activities at the beach. Following is a small selection. (If you have difficulty reading an article you can follow the link in its reference to access the article on the Trove site).

1923 'FELL OVERBOARD, AND SWAM FOR LIFE.', The Newcastle Sun (NSW : 1918 - 1954), 18 January, p. 1. , viewed 11 May 2021, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article163197057

1927 'REDHEAD BEACH CARNIVAL.', Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners' Advocate (NSW : 1876 - 1954), 19 February, p. 6. , viewed 11 May 2021, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article137656715

1928 'ANOTHER RESCUE', The Newcastle Sun (NSW : 1918 - 1954), 19 November, p. 8. , viewed 11 May 2021, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article163970260

1930 'SECOND TRAGEDY.', Townsville Daily Bulletin (Qld. : 1907 - 1954), 2 September, p. 6. , viewed 11 May 2021, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article60782823

1931 'PERFECT TAKE-OFF', The Newcastle Sun (NSW : 1918 - 1954), 26 January, p. 4. , viewed 11 May 2021, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article164322149

1948 'Shipwrecked 5 Times', Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners' Advocate (NSW : 1876 - 1954), 11 March, p. 2. , viewed 11 May 2021, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article134338903

1950 'Shark Sighted Off Redhead Beach', Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners' Advocate (NSW : 1876 - 1954), 13 November, p. 3. , viewed 11 May 2021, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article134383115

A Shark Attack

141 years after this attack we remember 13 year old Theresa Bond. This event near Dora Creek was widely covered in newspapers of the time. 

1880 'Extraordinary Escape from a Shark.', Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners' Advocate (NSW : 1876 - 1954), 5 January, p. 2. , viewed 01 Dec 2020, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article133860346

Update: Thanks to reader, Colin, on Facebook, who has added more information to this story since I posted in on the Lake Macquarie Then and Now Facebook Group. 

Colin said "It was actually Theresa Bonnell in this attack, and a letter written by Bonnell family members in the early 1940s about them doing a tour of their old homestead identifies the spot as what we now call Bonnells Bay."

Colin kindly added a link to the post from 1880 that correctly names the victim. You can read it here: http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article108734225.

The lesson here is - You can't believe everything you read. We should check multiple sources!

Trove Tuesday - 1920 - Sad news from Swansea

Several newspapers in the Trove collection relate sad news from Swansea.

William Hill was injured in May 1920 

1920 'OUR NEWCASTLE LETTER.', The Maitland Daily Mercury (NSW : 1894 - 1939), 31 May, p. 2. , viewed 15 Sep 2020, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article127958154

Alfred Lidbetter of Hamilton was injured in November

1920 'MOTOR CAR ACCIDENT.', Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners' Advocate (NSW : 1876 - 1954), 9 November, p. 5. , viewed 15 Sep 2020, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article140080516

Also in November Mr G Connolly died as a result of a trip to Swansea

1920 'BOOLAROO.', Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners' Advocate (NSW : 1876 - 1954), 12 November, p. 6. , viewed 15 Sep 2020, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article140086365

The Cain family of Swansea received the news of the death of Daniel Cain by his own hand just prior to Christmas 1920. There were several articles in the press that outlined the gruesome details.

1920 'TRAGEDY AT TORONTO.', Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners' Advocate (NSW : 1876 - 1954), 22 December, p. 7. , viewed 15 Sep 2020, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article140082099

1920 'GLEANINGS', Singleton Argus (NSW : 1880 - 1954), 25 December, p. 1. , viewed 15 Sep 2020, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article80775101

Cain was fondly remembered by his family in 1922

1922 'Family Notices', Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners' Advocate (NSW : 1876 - 1954), 22 December, p. 6. , viewed 15 Sep 2020, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article140019212