This compilation contains the names of more than 300 railwaymen (ie employees, not public passengers) who were killed or died while on duty between 1879 and today. Many workers have also suffered injuries, some life-threatening, which it has not been possible to include.
392 records found. Showing 126–150.
| Date | Surname | Given names | Designation | Location | Description | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1915-01-05 | HALL | Patrick | Wagon Examiner | Coonana, TAR | See also: Thomas BRODERICK, Thomas KEARNEY and James McKEOWN. Patrick HALL and the others named here died when the brake van they were travelling in derailed and overturned at Coonana on the Trans-Australia Railway (TAR). A coroner's inquest determined that their deaths were accidental. | Open PDF |
| 1934-10-13 | HANCOCK | Andrew | Guard | Bridgetown | Andrew Hancock was 61 years of age when he died after falling under wagons while shunting at Bridgetown. Andrew lived at Bridgetown and is interred at Bridgetown Cemetery. | Open PDF |
| 1920-12-08 | HARBECK | Alfred John | Guard | Ellis Creek, Kauri Timber Co | Alfred Harbeck was 55 years of age when he slipped while applying a brake during shunting operations at Ellis Creek (Near Nannup WA) and fell under the wagon. He died instantly. Alfred was single, lived at Nannup and interred at the Nannup Cemetery. | Open PDF |
| 1933-03-01 | HARDIE | Thomas Charles | Night Watchman | Midland Workshops | Thomas Hardie was 62 years of age when he died as the result of being struck by a train while working as a night watchman at Midland Junction. Thomas was on light duties and acting as watchman due to a recent illness. Thomas lived at Midland Junction with his wife Hilda. They had seven adult children. Thomas was interred at Karrakatta Cemetery (Presbyterian/FA/0104) and his wife, Hilda, survived him by 34 years and was interred in the same grave in 1967. | Open PDF |
| 1905-10-19 | HARRIGAN | Francis Daniel "Frank" | Electrician | Perth | Frank Harrigan was 36 Years of age when he was caught between buffers and fatally injured while crossing tracks at Perth Station. A coronial inquest determined that his death was accidental. Frank lived in Victoria Park and is interred at Karrakatta Cemetery (ROMAN CATHOLIC/CA/0141). | Open PDF |
| 1917-02-27 | HARRIS | Lester Roy Joseph | Navvy | Quindalup | Lester Harris was 18 years of age when he was struck and killed by a falling tree while engaged on clearing work for the Busselton - Margaret River railway construction. Lester lived at Quindanup with his parents and he is interred at Busselton Pioneers Cemetery. | Open PDF |
| 1962-08-25 | HARRISON | Norman James | Shunter | Leighton | Norman Harrison was 23 years of age when he died as the result of a shunting accident at Leighton Yard. Norman was married to lorraine (re-married) and they had two children. He played rugby union football and entertained friends and workmates with caricature drawings. Norman lived at Hilton with his wife and family and is interred at Fremantle Cemetery (ANGLICAN/MON A5/0111). | Open PDF |
| 1898-02-17 | HARTREE | Thomas Frank | Fireman | Gilgering | Thomas Hartree was 25 years of age when he died after locomotive R148 and its train derailed after hitting a bullock at Gilgering 8 miles South of York on the Great Southern Railway (GSR). Thomas was killed instantly and the driver Mr Goldsworthy was severely injured. Thomas lived at Northam with his wife and is interred at Northam Cemetery. An inquest in February 1898 concluded that Thomas had died accidently. Information provided by Julie Rae a York Historian. March 2016 | Open PDF |
| 1973-05-28 | HAWORTH | William | Barracks Caretaker | Watheroo | William Haworth was 62 years of age when he was fatally injured while working on a signal at Watheroo. William lived at Watheroo and is interred at Midland Cemetery (Anglican/A/0006). | Open PDF |
| 1920-05-19 | HAYMAN | Spencer John | Goods Porter | East Perth | Spencer Hayman was 28 years of age when he was struck and fatally injured by loose shunted wagons while taking numbers in Perth Goods Yard. Spencer died at the scene. He lived in Murray Street Perth with his wife and young child. Spencer was interred at Karrakatta Cemetery (ROMAN CATHOLIC/DB/0266). | Open PDF |
| 1935-08-29 | HENDERSON | Robert | Ganger-in-Charge | Yarloop | Robert Henderson was 62 years of age when he died as the result of injuries sustained when he was struck by a passing train at Yarloop. He left behind his wife, six grown up children and a number of grand children. Robert Lived in Narrogin and he is interred at Narrogin Cemetery. Information provided by his granddaughter, Maxine Smyth, March 2016. | Open PDF |
| 1916-01-21 | HENNESSY | John Pope | Timekeeper | Karonie, TAR | John Hennessey died instantly when his motorised tricycle ran into the rear of a coach when the train he was following stopped unexpectedly. John lived in Kalgoorlie with his wife Eva and their infant daughter. He was interred in the Catholic portion of the Kalgoorlie Cemetery. | Open PDF |
| 1910-10-13 | HERBERT | George | Foreman | Roebourne tramway, PWD | George Herbert was 43 years of age when he was fatally injured while supervising loading operation at the Roebourne Tramway. A horse drawn wagon loaded with wool crushed George against railway trucks and dragged him about 15 feet (5 metres). George died of his injuries at 8pm that night. George lived in Roebourne with his wife, Adelaide, and two children and he is interred at Roebourne Cemetery. | Open PDF |
| 1905-11-17 | HIVON | Ernest Alfred Edward | Head Shunter | Perth | Ernest Hivon was 25 years of age when he was fatally injured by being struck by a train as it entered Perth Station. Ernest died of his injuries shortly afterwards at the Perth Public Hospital. He had been married just one month at the time of his death. Ernest lived with his wife, Ellen, at Lane Street Perth and he is interred at Karrakatta Cemetery (ANGLICAN/GC/0032A). | Open PDF |
| 1901-09-16 | HOAD | William George | Stationmaster | Lion Mill (Near Mt Helena) | William Hoad was 38 years of age when he was fatally injured while shunting at Lion Mill. William was caught between buffers and crushed, he died before reaching hospital at Guildford. William lived at Lion Mill with his wife and four children and he is interred at the Anglican Section of the Guildford Cemetery. | Open PDF |
| 1948-04-01 | HODGE | Alfred "Alf" Verdun | Road Bus Driver | Byford | Alfred "Alf" Hodge was 29 years of age when the semi-trailer bus he was driving "jack-knifed" when the brakes were applied on a wet road near the Cardup bridge. The bus crashed through the bridge railing, Alfred was impaled by part of it and was fatally injured. Alfred lived in Bunbury with his wife and they were expecting their first child. Alfred is interred at Karrakatta Cemetery (ANGLICAN/OA/0481). | Open PDF |
| 1939-08-30 | HODGES | Thomas Henry (See Flitcroft, Murray) | Ganger | Wannamal, MRWA | Thomas lived at Belmont with his family and is interred at Karrakatta Cemetery (Presbyterian/IA/0819) (see OneNote) | Open PDF |
| 1894-02-24 | HOLM | Christian (See Olsen) | Navvy | Capel | Christian Holm was 29 years of age when he died, on 26 February 1894, two days after being injured when a pile driver fell over while he was at the top of it with Neils Olsen inspecting parts of the machine. He is interred at the Bunbury Pioneers Cemetery. | Open PDF |
| 1945-11-01 | HOLMES | Ernest | Shunter | West Perth | Ernest Holmes was 50 years of age when he was knocked down and was killed at West Perth. Ernest was a returned serviceman formerly of the 16th Batt. 1st AIF. He lived at Mount Hawthorn with his wife, Millicent, and was interred at Karrakatta Cemetery (ANGLICAN/WE/0321). | Open PDF |
| 1964-10-13 | HRUSCHTSCHAK | Wolodymyr "Walter" | Carpenters Asst | Bellevue | Wolodymyr (Walter) Hruschtschak was 47 years of age when he was fatally injured as the result of an accident while working on a footbridge at Bellevue. Wolodymyr lived in Bassendean with his wife Olga and he is interred at Karrakatta Cemetery (ROMAN CATHOLIC/PA/0189) | Open PDF |
| 1957-03-25 | HUMPHREYS | Barry Francis | Apprentice | Midland Workshops | Barry Humphreys was 17 years of age and employed as an apprentice at the Midland workshops when he was fatally injured in a machinery accident . Barry lived with his parents, Henry and Doris, at Swanbourne and he is interred at Karrakatta Cemetery (ANGLICAN/ZK/0492). | Open PDF |
| 1970-04-03 | HUNTER | Robert (Bob) | Fireman | Narrogin | Robert (Bob) Hunter was 29 Years of age when he died as the result of an accident at Narrogin Shunting Yard. He was inserting an alliance transition coupling at the time of the accident and was struck by the locomotive. Bob lived in Narrogin with his family and he is memorialised in the Crematorium Rose Garden at Karrakatta Cemetery (Site 14 Position 0114) | Open PDF |
| 1912-03-13 | HUNTER | William | Fireman | Pinjarra | William Hunter was 20 years of age when he was knocked from the tender of locomotive Ja30 as it passed under a bridge. He was run over by the following wagons and killed instantly. William lived in Perth and is interred at Karrakatta Cemetery (SALVATION ARMY/AA/0095). | Open PDF |
| 1942-10-10 | IBBOTSON | William | Examiner | Perth | William Ibbotson was 59 years of age when he was knocked down and dragged to his death in the Perth shunting yard. William lived in Wembley with his wife and he is memorialised at Karrakatta Cemetery (Crematorium Rose Gardens/WE/0168). | Open PDF |
| 1952-02-18 | ILES | Reginald Charles Harefield | Traffic Inspector | Bunbury | Reginald Iles was 49 years of age at the time he died when the car he was driving hit a tree 6 miles (9.6km) South of Manjimup. At the time of the accident he was on an inspection tour of stations in the district in preparation for a visit by the Commissioner of Railways. Reginald lived in Bunbury with his family and is interred at Bunbury Cemetery. | Open PDF |
Death or serious injury, in the days before compulsory workers’ compensation insurance, could, and often did, result in the victim’s family being left destitute. The families often had to rely, at least in the short term, on the charity of their community and the generosity of the injured or deceased worker’s colleagues.
Many men, stationed at outlying depots, were faced with such rudimentary medical facilities that an injury which may have been survivable in a large town or city could and often did prove fatal.
Contemporary newspaper reports and edited transcripts of coronial inquiries have been included where they are available. Some photographs of these railwaymen have been made available by descendants and other family members. Other information welcome and can be sent to archivist@railheritagewa.org.au
Caution: Contemporary newspaper reports, particularly those prior to 1920, sometimes contain explicit descriptions of the injuries sustained by the deceased person. Some readers may find these descriptions offensive and in bad taste by today’s standards. However, they reflect the norms of the times and are reproduced as found.