Here are four deaths from one city just a hundred years or so ago, all of which are very different, mercifully instantaneous, and importantly provide a lesson for all of us. I told a version of this story live on West Bremer Radio.

The events happened in Ipswich, Queensland, and the first as innocently as you could imagine.

In 1912, John Fallon left work and went to his home in Gibbon Street, East Ipswich. He had dinner, and dozed off on his back veranda, as you do. But then the bizarre happened because in Fallon’s doziness he rolled down the steps, head-first, and broke his neck. His death was instantaneous. He’d just had a good dinner so I suppose that’s a good way to go.

Then this second example happened in a school playground.

In 1925 at the Silkstone State school, during lunchtime a number of girls were playing around one of those poles with chains hanging off it. You know the one, you each hold the end of a chain and swing around. I remember playing on them when I was young.

The children were each holding a ring and swinging around, when the pole snapped. It fell on top of one of the girls and broke her neck, killing her instantly. Her name was Annie Donaldson from Station Road in Booval, and she was aged just ten-and-a-half.

A third example incredibly happened at the Brisbane’s Royal National Association show, locally called the Ekka. I don’t remember ever previously reading anything about the tragedy so I presume it was not well publicised.

In 1931, the afternoon session of the Ekka’s equestrian competition was brought to a sudden end. That’s because of a fatal accident involving the noted Ipswich horseman Cornelius McAuliff. He was from Down Street in North Ipswich. His horse hit the fourth jump, McAuliffe was thrown forward head-first, hit the ground and broke his neck. Death again was instantaneous.

What’s interesting here is that I think Cornelius McAuliff may have been the grandfather of the late Senator Ron McAuliffe who of course was instrumental in founding the iconic State of Origin rugby league. So if it wasn’t for a broken neck, the McAuliffe family and Queensland sporting history make well have taken a very different course.

The last one I’ll tell you about was particularly unusual.

It was in 1936 when an eighteen-year-old farm hand by the name of Douglas Kerslake from Riverview was working out at Amberley, both Ipswich suburbs He was in the paddock and went down to the creek to adjust a stock drinking trough, which was actually a heavy hollowed-out log. As he moved the trough nearer to the bank, it gathered speed and he lost control. In trying to stop the log from rolling into the creek, he ran around in front of it. When he attempted to check it, he fell, his head was caught in the hollow of the log, and his neck was broken. Again, death was instantaneous.

Just twelve months earlier at the front gate of the Kersake family home at Riverview, an Ipswich policeman had broken his neck and was killed instantly, which was a bit of a spooky premonition of what was to come.

So the lesson in all of this is be careful when dozing on your back veranda, play on swings, or go to the Ekka, and never, ever stick your head in a rolling log.

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO A VERSION OF THIS STORY TOLD ON WEST BREMER RADIO.

Photo credits:
Royal National Show, Illustrated front cover The Queenslander, August 27th 1931 – State Library of Queensland.
Silkstone State School, Ipswich, Class 1-2, 1925-1926 – Picture Ipswich.
Ron McAuliffe holding a framed cartoon of himself drawn by Ricardo – State Library of Queensland.