From past newspaper files:
Déjà Vu – From the Daylesford Advocate Thursday 18 January 1917
NON-VACCINATION CASE.Constable Strain proceeded against Richard R. Childe, of Coomoora, in Daylesford Police Court on Wednesday, before Mr. P. Bartold, P.M., and Messrs H. M. S. Cox and G. H. Walton, J’s.P., for having omitted to have his son, John vaccinated. Defendant did not appear, but the constable produced a signed statement from defendant in which he pleaded guilty, urging that he had conscientious objections to the process. A fine of £2 was imposed.
(Editorial Note: There is nothing new on the face of the earth!” – Ecclesiastes 1:9, and “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” – George Santaya)
Dangerous Business – From the Daylesford Advocate Friday 5 January 1917
FATAL MINING ACCIDENT AT THE NORTH NUGGETY AJAX
On Thursday Afternoon a painful sensation was caused in the town when the sad news became known that a fatal accident had occurred at the North Nuggetty Ajax Mine, the victim being Mr. Samuel Penglase Hender, miner, of Raglan Street, a well known and respected resident. It was ascertained that the deceased had, with a mate named George Newstead, been working in a rise over No. 2 crosscut at 4 level, and that at about ten minutes past 2 o’clock in the afternoon, they were preparing for putting in a piece of timber.
They had been boring a hole in the ground ahead when Newstead said that he would go below for another candle which was required. Hender said that he would keep on boring meanwhile. Newstead had only departed a second or two when he heard a sound of falling stone and his mate’s cry “George, quick!” He returned to the rise immediately and saw his mate, pinned face down, with a body of quartz (estimated by some to be about two tons in weight) across his loin and legs.
He obtained assistance and as soon as possible the deceased was quickly released. Throughout the work of rescue he retained consciousness and several times exclaimed “Take the thing off!”
As soon as the body of stone was removed, the deceased collapsed and died within a few minutes. The fall of stone was from a greasy head, and was one of those occurrences which it is impossible to guard against as the rise was timbered right up as far as was possible.
From the Daylesford and District Historical Society. https://daylesfordmuseum.net/
