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 201–225.
| Date | Surname | Given names | Designation | Location | Description | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1948-07-01 | McCALLUM | Archibald (Archie) James Valentine | Driver | Tullis | Archibald (Archie) McCallum was 72 years of age when he died as the result of an accident when he fell from a runaway wagon. The accident occurred at Tullis on a, now defunct, section of the Pinjarra to Boddington line. Archie is interred at Karrakatta Cemetery (ANGLICAN/WE/0045). | Open PDF |
| 1898-06-15 | McCARTHY | Arthur Dennis Joseph | Guard | Mt Hardy | Arthur McCarthy was 22 years of age when he died as the result of a derailment. Arthur received fatal injuries when a propelled ballast train derailed throwing him to the ground. He died, from a fractured skull, two hours later in York Hospital. Arthur lived with his widowed mother in Northam he was interred at Northam Cemetery. | Open PDF |
| 1910-02-04 | McCARTHY | Jeremiah | Powder monkey | Nabawa | Jeremiah MaCarthy was fatally injured to his face and head in a blasting accident while working on the Northampton railway deviation. Jeremiah was a native of London and had no known relatives in WA. | Open PDF |
| 1918-10-12 | McCARTHY | John | Driver | 84 Mile, Kurrawang woodline | John McCarthy was fatally injured when he fell and was run over by his own engine while uncoupling wagons. John lived at Kurrawang with his wife Lillian and their four children he is interred in the Anglican section of the Kalgoorlie Cemetery. | Open PDF |
| 1931-06-12 | McCARTHY | Joseph | Fettler | 96 Mile, Kurrawang woodline | Joseph McCarthy was 72 years of age when the tricycle he was riding was run down at the 96 mile on the Kurrawang Woodline. Joseph was fatally injured. He lived in Kalgoorlie and is interred at the Anglican section of the Kalgoorlie Cemetery. | Open PDF |
| 1911-02-18 | McCLELLAND | Plate-layer | Merredin | KELLERBERRIN. A young man named McClelland, a plate layer engaged on the new line between Merredin and Kunonoppin, met with a fatal accident a few days ago. Shunting operations were in progress, and McClelland was on one of the trucks the engine bumped and threw him on to the rails, literally cutting him in two. Death was instantaneous. The remains were interred in the Kellerberrin Cemetery by the Rev. S. L. Philpot. The deceased, who was negotiating at the time of his death to bring his family over from New Zealand, has left a widow and two children. (Author's note: The authorities and the press of the day obviously did not deem it important to ascertian this young man's given name or age for the record and his grave is marked simply "McClelland".) | Open PDF | |
| 1891-11-24 | McCORMICK | William | Navvy | Walkaway | William McCormick (22), who was also known as John Jones, was employed by the MRWA as a Navvy/Plate Layer. On the Morning of 24 November 1891 while riding, slightly under the influence, on the tender of the locomotive "DODGER" which was pulling "Keane's Picnic Train" he fell and was run over. He died instantly. His body was conveyed to Geraldton. No other information was reported. The same train that ran over and killed William was involved in another fatal accident at 10:00pm that night. Charles Bird, a Porter, was run down and killed as the train set back after stalling on a grade. | Open PDF |
| 1893-12-14 | McCUSKER | Arthur | Guard | Gregson’s Tank | Arthur McCusker was 28 years of age at the time of his death. Arthur died a week after a shunting accident at Gregson's Tank near Burges on the York - Quairading line. Arthur was trying to execute a "Fly" shunt (A dangerous maneuvre at any time.) when he fell while trying to uncouple wagons. He was severely injured when struck by the axle boxes. Arthur lived at guildford and is interred at Guildford Cemetery. | Open PDF |
| 1938-02-10 | McDONALD | James Hugh | Guard | Cranbrook | James McDonald was 55 years of age when he was struck and critically injured while shunting at Cranbrook. A number takers lamp may have been mistaken for a signal to move the locomotive and wagons forward and this resulted in James' injuries. James died 9 days after the accident while being treated at Albany Public Hospital. James lived at Cranbrook with his wife and their family of five, he is interred at Karrakatta Cemetery (ROMAN CATHOLIC/AA/0430A). | Open PDF |
| 1902-12-09 | McDOUGALL | Herbert F | Shunter | Fremantle | Herbert McDougall was 26 years of age when he was run over and killed while shunting on Victoria Quay, Fremantle. A coronial inquest determined that his death was accidental. Herbert was interred at the New (in 1902) Fremantle Cemetery (ROMAN CATHOLIC/MON C/0603). | Open PDF |
| 1917-05-29 | McGANN | Thomas Michael | Length Runner | Noongaar-24km West of Southern Cross | Thomas McGann (50) was fatally injured when his per way tricycle was run down by a goods train at Noongaar, about 40 km West of Southern Cross on the Eastern line. There are no further details readily available. | Open PDF |
| 1920-08-23 | McGAVIN | Alexander "Alex" | Porter | Perth | On 24 July 1920 Alexander McGavin was critically injured in a goods lift accident at Perth Railway Station. He died at Perth Hospital on August 23, he was 33 years of age. He had previously been employed by the Midland Railway Company. Alex lived at East Perth with his wife Rose and their five children and he is interred at Karrakatta Cemetery (ANGLICAN/HC/0176). | Open PDF |
| 1908-11-13 | McGEE | William | Ganger | Mornington Mills, MK&JCo. | William McGee died as the result of being hit in the head by branch of a tree, which had earlier fallen onto the the railway line, when it was struck by the train he was riding on. Apart from the lurid descriptions of the accident in a few regional newspapers of the time, little more is known. | Open PDF |
| 1948-11-22 | McGLYNN | Frank | Shunter | Bunbury | Frank Mcglynn was 39 years of age when he was killed instantly while engaged on shunting duties at Bunbury. It was believed at the time of the accident that Frank fell from a wagon he was seen riding and died instantly from his injuries. Frank McGlynn was a returned serviceman and an ex prisoner of war. Frank was single and lived at Bunbury he is believed to be interred at Bunbury Cemetery | Open PDF |
| 1883-06-26 | McGOVERN | Thomas | Plate-layer | Guildford | Thomas McGovern was a young man when he apparently alighted from a slow moving ballast train at guildford, slipped or tripped and fell under the wheels of the wagons causing two of them to derail. Thomas received horrendous fatal injuries and died instantly. A cooroner's inquest determined that Thomas' death was accidental. Thomas lived at Fremantle and is interred at Femantle Cemetery. | Open PDF |
| 1961-10-31 | McGRATH | John Leo | Guard | Yarloop | John McGrath was 54 years of age when he died as the result of injuries received when two trains collided at Yarloop. | Open PDF |
| 1915-06-03 | McGUIGAN | Francis Henry | Shunter | Parkeston, TAR | Francis McGuigan was 44 years of age when he was crushed as run-away wagons overturned after crashing into a dead end. Francis lived in Kalgoorlie and was interred at the Kalgoorlie Cemeterey Roman Catholic Section. A coronial inquest determined that his death was accidental. | Open PDF |
| 1912-03-20 | McINERNEY | Francis "Frank" | Ganger-in-Charge | Spencers Brook | Francis McInerney was 42 years of age when he was critically injured as he was crushed by a collapsing cabin while it was being unloaded at Spencer's Brook on 7 March 1912. Frank succumbed to his injuries at Northam Hospital on 20 March 1912. Frank lived at Mokine (10km West of Spencer's Brook) with his wife, Mary. He was the father of 7 children. Frank was interred in the PRESBYTERIAN section of the Northam Cemetery. | Open PDF |
| 1896-11-27 | McINTOSH | Alexander Neil | Carriage Cleaner | Perth | Alexander McIntosh, carriage cleaner, was 32 years of age when he fell under the wheels of a brake van as he tried to board a moving train. Alexander had been instructed to clean the van. | Open PDF |
| 1931-12-21 | McINTYRE | James Edward Daniel | Driver | Midland Junction | James McIntyre was 57 years of age when he was run down and killed while crossing the locomotive preparation apron at the Midland Workshops, he died instantly. James lived at Midland Junction with his wife, Harriet, and they had five adult children. James was interred at Karrakatta Cemetery (WESLEYAN/GC/0234). His wife Harriet, who survived him by 11 years, was interred in the same grave in 1942. | Open PDF |
| 1940-03-26 | McKAY | Alexander | Guard | Fremantle | Alexander McKay was 61 Years of age when he was critically injured after being struck by a locomotive at Fremantle Station on 24 March 1940. He succumbed to his injuries in Fremantle Hospital two days later on the 26th. Alexander lived in West Perth with his wife, Betsy. They had two married children and two grand children. Alexander was survived by Betsy who died in 1957 and they are both interred in the same plot at Karrakatta Cemetery (BRETHREN/BA/011). | Open PDF |
| 1919-05-08 | McKENNA | Patrick | Shunter | Collie | Patrick Mckenna, a returned serviceman, died after being crushed by a run away wagon while shunting at the Cooperative Mine in Collie. Patrick, his wife Mary and their four children lived at Collie, having recently moved there from Northam. Patrick's parents lived at Jarrahdale and Patrick was interred in the ROMAN CATHOLIC section of the Jarrahdale Cemetery. | Open PDF |
| 1915-01-05 | McKEOWN | James H W | Guard | Coonana, TAR | See also: Thomas BRODERICK, Patrick HALL and Thomas KEARNEY. James McKeown 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 |
| 1929-04-13 | McKimmie | Alexander Malcolm | Blacksmith | Midladn Workshops | Alexander Mc Kimmie was 57 years of age when his right hand and forearm were severely crushed under a steam hammer on 30 April 1928. Alexander never recovered from his injuries and passed away almost one year later on 13 April 1929. Alexander lived at Bayswater with his wife Helena Mary and they had four adult children. Helena survived Alexander by 28 years and died at the age of 77 in 1957. Alexander was interred at Karrakatta Cemetery (PRESBYTERIAN/AA/0051) | Open PDF |
| 1941-04-18 | McLEAN | Patrick | Repairer | Pinjarra | Patrick McLean was fatally injured when he was struck by a passing train at Pinjarra. | 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.