On of the best contributors to the WAVMM has been Elizabeth OLIVER, the Grandaughter of Joseph Thomas Coxon OLIVER. His complete profile can be viewed @ JTC Oliver. It may give you some idea of what you could do for your own family member who has been killed in a mine accident or who has died from a ‘Dusted’ complaint.
Joseph Thomas Cox OLIVER ‘Gidgie’
Joseph was killed on the Princess Royal GM, Westonia Western Australia on the 1st April 1933 and is buried in the Westonia Cemetery WA. He was only 38yrs old.
Memorial of J T C Oliver Westonia Cemetery
Kenneth James OLIVER and (Elizabeth Oliver III), Brother and sister, Grandchildren of Joseph OLIVER, Photo taken 1.4.2011.
Joseph was married to Margaret Mary Byrne [known to all as Maggie] on the 20th July 1920. She was born in Southern Cross WA (the eldest of 14 children) on the 5th January 1896. . (Maggie died on the 1st November 1985 in Carlisle, Western Australia) She never re married.
Margaret Mary OLIVER nee Byrne [known to all as Maggie)
Maggies cross as seen in above photo. It has now been passed down the family to Elizabeth Oliver, her grandaughter.
There are many things to note about Maggie and Joseph’s short lives together and something significant is that Maggie taught Joseph to read and write.
Times were really tough in the early ‘30’s and Maggie would work, taking in washing and ironing and cleaning houses to try and put food on the table when Joseph was out of work. Back in 1932, Tom Reilly was the shift boss at Edna May Gold Mine and Joseph took a job underground and away from Kalgoorlie.
This photo was taken a couple of days before Joe left for Westonia. Elizabeth Oliver’s father, James, is the little boy in front.
Gidgie, as Joseph was known as, went to Westonia alone and lived in a boarding house with the plan to send for the family when he could find them a house. However, that wasn’t to be, as Gidgie died in an accident in the mine, two days after turning 38 years old. From what we understand an explosion was set to go off at a certain time and when it didn’t our grandfather was sent to investigate. The explosion did go off and Gidgie died as a result of inhaling carbon monoxide fumes from the explosion.
Telegram to Maggie
The mines paid Maggie a little compensation and with that she paid up some outstanding bills and bought a house in Kalgoorlie and still had a bit of a nest egg for emergencies. She worked extremely hard all her life to provide for her children and even though she had quite a number of proposals [because of her cooking abilities she’d say] she never acted on them because Joe was the love of her life.The miners membership, Holman hoist cert were in Joe’s wallet at the time of his death. Also in his wallet was the photo of the family standing in their yard in Kalgoorlie a few days before he left for Westonia.
Joseph’s Holman Hoist Certificate Lake View and Star
Josephs Australian Workers Union Ticket
Joseph and Maggies children were:- Margaret Josephine [born 29.10.1921 and died 28.5.1973], • Thomas [born 25.3.1923 and died 4.12.1923], • Elizabeth [born 28.6.1924 and died 17.1.1992], • Phyllis [born 15.10.1926 and died 21.2.1988], and • James [born 4.12.1928 and died 5.9.2013. James was named after his grandfather James Andrew Byrne who had died from Silicosis on 12.10.1921 in Kalgoorlie].
