This wonderful photograph was given to me by he relative Bev Rowbottam. George was a prospector and was killed on thew 27th July 1899 at the Catherwood GM near Coolgardie:-
There is a very sad and poniente story that goes with this lovely photo. It shows a young man smiling into the camera with his horse and his new dog. It was made into a post card and was sent back to Scotland to his father and it said. ‘Here is a picture of me and my new girlfriend’ (the dog). How gorgeous is that. It looks like a little Pomeranian. Not long after this he was killed in a fall of earth.
Inquirer and Commercial News (Perth, WA : 1855 – 1901), Friday 3 March 1899, page 9
COOLGARDIE.
The inquiry concerning the dynamite explosion at the Catherwood mine, at Kunanulling on Monday last, by which George Robertson was killed, was concluded yesterday. The evidence showed that the accident was probably caused by the deceased having driven a gad into a portion of the unexploded charge. A verdict was returned that the deceased came to his death by an explosion, caused by the point of a gad having been driven into some gelignite, being a portion of charge unexploded by the detonator. The jury considered that no blame was attachable to anyone.
Daily News Tuesday 28 February 1899, page 4
