We passed through Bakers Swamp without noticing anything. Then reached our last dot on the map for this trip - Larras Lee and saw this. The roadside monument says: In Memory of WILLIAM LEE (1794 - 1870) of "Larras Lake" a pioneer of the sheep and cattle industry and first member for Roxburgh under responsible government (1856 - 1859). This stone was erected by his descendants. --- 1938 --- This is a repost from a few days ago. Thinking I would use this for this week’s Taphophile Tragics post I dug a little further into William Lee’s story, it’s a very colonial Australian one. William was born of convict parents, living his childhood years around the Sydney region. In his early 20s he was issued with some government cattle, recommended as a suitable settler and granted 134 acres at Kelso near Bathurst. He was one of the first in the area and did well. A few years later he was granted a ram and an inc...
I guess anything could and did happen in those days. It probably still does in the outback.
ReplyDeleteThere are lots of stories around here of stockmen being killed by lightning. I think it was quite common in the old days before cars,
ReplyDeleteGoodness, struck by lightening. That was unfortunate. Great post!
ReplyDeleteBeneath Thy Feet
A tragic death by lightning. Poor man.
ReplyDeleteNot just he, but his horse also, according to the "Bourke Watchman": When he did not return others went looking, and found them both deceased beneath a tree, totally stripped of its bark. The drover's feet were still in the stirrups, and the reins in his left hand.
ReplyDeleteJulie, your sleuthing abilities amaze me, so interesting to know more of his history. I did some research of my own on lightening and one of the things things that happens to trees when struck is that their bark is stripped.
DeleteAround 650 people have been killed by lightning in Australia since 1803 and in the US there are an average of 62 deaths per year.
The safest place to be during lightening is to be inside or in a car with the windows wound up and you not touching an metal parts.
How unfortunate.
ReplyDeleteKilled by lightning!? Wow!
ReplyDeleteI like the way the headstone is newsy and gives details. No doubt sheltering under a tree was not the wisest move in a storm. Yet, a completely instinctual action to take. Very ironic.
ReplyDeletePoor guy,what a way to go, out with a bang.
ReplyDeletesad..
ReplyDeletebut i like to read it on the stone. is that bad?
hmm.. i guess when i would be struck by lightning i would also want it on my stone...