These outback towns have a disproportionally large number of hotels from the days when shearers and drovers ruled their economy. Hot, hard and it seems sometimes dangerous work.
Participating in Taphophile Tragics. Pop over to Julie's blog to see more interesting graves.
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...