I have started to write the Shearer page, slowly but surely getting there. Today I have written about the death of my father's uncle and name sake, Aubrey's older brother David Henry Shearer. Here is a piece from a Sydney Newspaper (Forgot to write the paper's name down, I will need to look for it again) Dated 14 August 1929. Coroner's Inquiry 14 August 1929 DEATH OF DAVE SHEARER Coroner’s Inquiry Mr. A. E. Baldock, coroner, of Campbelltown, conducted an inquiry on the 2nd instant, into the circumstances surrounding the death of David Shearer who met with an accident at Nepean Dam on 30th July. The following evidence was adduced: Dr. F. W. West deposed: On Tuesday afternoon, 30th July, about 4.45pm, I went to the Camden District Hospital to attend an accident case brought in from Nepean Dam; I there saw the deceased, David Shearer, who was in a condition of collapse, and suffering from frightful injuries to the whole of his lower limbs, his thigh and legs were smashed more or less to a pulp; he sank rapidly and died about 6pm, a little more than an hour after he arrived at the hospital; death was due to shock and haemorrhage from the injuries; he had other contusions and abrasions on his body, which were comparatively minor matters; any surgical operation would have meant death on the table; he was practically dying when I first saw him. Henry Edward Shearer deposed: I am the father of the deceased, David Shearer, who was 20 years of age on the 2nd April last; I last saw him alive on the 3rd June, at home at Bay St, Botany, where I reside, and he was then in good health; he was a strong healthy young man not subject to any fits or faints, and temperate in his habits; I did not see him at the hospital, but saw him at my home at Botany, lying dead on the 31st July. John Joseph Callaghan deposed: I am a foreman in charge of the quarry in the Nepean Dam, and deceased was employed at the Dam; he was at work on the road going into the quarry, it was about 8 feet wide; while engaged at work he met with an accident through a stone rolling on him; I did not see the stone strike him; I was standing on elevation where I could see the stone, but could not see anyone underneath; saw the stone slowly slide off the ledge, and knew no more until I heard someone call out, and then saw deceased struggling; I ran to him and saw him on the ledge supported by Butters, the man he was working with; the stone had then rolled down the hill; I saw it was serious accident and made arrangements with Foreman Egan to give the man all the attention possible; got medical relief, and had the doctor brought onto the scene as quickly as possible; the work which deceased was engaged in was cleaning the ledges around the stone; the men were working around the ledge; the stone stone was six or eight feet from the top, and a few feet above the men; the stone slipped away noiselessly; it was reacting on cushion of earth about 18 inches thick. There was no explosion to cause the stone to fall; deceased and another young man named Butters, were working together on with the advance party on the road going into the quarry, and cleared the ledges preparatory to blasting; it is everyday work; all the men get warned to look out for themselves; the stone came from a few feet above and behind deceased and rolled on to him and then down the hill; it was almost impossible for him to escape it; he was a young man of good character and a good workman. John Harper Moore deposed: I am a ganger working Nepean Dam, and reside at Tahmoor: on the 30th July was working in charge of a body of men; did not see the accident, but was with Shearer and Butters about 10 minutes before the accident happened; had a good look around then, and thought everything was safe enough; was then called away by the surveyor, Mr. Hudson, who was showing me some work some yards off and the accident happened whilst I was with him; when I got back to the scene of the accident Butters was holding Shearer up; no stone had fallen previously to this one; I always warn men that there is danger, and ropes are always there for the men to use and pull themselves up with; there was no wind blowing, and it was a calm day; deceased was a good workman and a sober man. Roy Butters deposed: I am a labourer working at Nepean Dam, and reside at Bargo; on the 30th of last month was working with David Shearer, and at the time of the accident was about 3 or 4 feet away from him; we were clearing away in preparation for the blasting; heard a rattling sound and saw a stone coming down; it hit Shearer; it was about 6 tons and rolled down and on him; it came form a few feet above him; there was warning at all, nor any other stone coming down; when I got to him he was quite conscious, and he was calling out of his mother; he said to me that he saw the stone coming, but trying to escape it, he tripped over a shovel; he was terribly hurt; first aid was rendered; and it was only about ten minutes before the doctor came; there has been no stone slip away at any time before; it looked perfectly safe to be working there. The Coroner found: That the deceased, David Shearer, died from the effects of injuries accidentally received on 30th July, through a stone falling on him and smashing the whole of his lower lower limbs practically to a pulp, at Nepean Dam, Bargo, in the Police District of Picton, and he died the same day at the Camden District Hospital.
2 Comments
Jan Gladwin
26/5/2017 04:01:39 pm
What a great idea Davina. Good on you. Very interesting reading. Xx
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Davina
27/5/2017 01:27:52 am
I really needed to be able to share all this information, it is all just sitting there in ancestry, too many people on facebook to annoy them with all this information they would have no interest in, so I thought I would blog about it and tag it for family to go and have a look! I was looking at making a book/photobook but that would have cost a lot of money, and I couldn't afford to get a few printed and give to family.. so This is the best Idea I found!
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AuthorMy name is Davina and I have been researching my family history since 2011. I started with almost nothing but ended up with a wealth of information and I needed an outlet to show and display all the information I have found. Archives
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