Bailey, Garnet Sydney
[Passenger list, "KOOMBANA" 37, compiled 02 April 1912, Adelaide Steamship Company. Noel Butlin Archives Centre, Australian National University, 0186/N46/634]
Fremantle-Broome Bailey G. [blank]
[Passenger list, "KOOMBANA" 37, compiled 12 April 1912, Adelaide Steamship Company. provided to the author by the late Malcolm Barker]
List of passengers known to have been bound for Broome.
From Fremantle
...
Bailey, Garnet Sydney. Has two brothers in Somersetshire whence he
emigrated. Engaged to daughter of Mrs. Vaughan
"Lynden", 9th Avenue, Maylands.
...
["The Passengers", The West Australian (Perth, WA), Wednesday 03 April 1912, page 7]
FOR BROOME.
Steerage.
...
Mr. G. Bailey
...
["The Koombana", The West Australian (Perth, WA), Friday 12 April 1912, page 7]
...
THE PASSENGER LIST.
The Adelaide S.S. Company advises the following additions to the passenger list of the Koombana:--H. Bates, steerage, for Broome, and Geo. H. Lawrence, a shearer, whose wife resides at Woodlupine, for Derby, both of whom booked on board. Of the others known to be on the vessel, W. Smith, a passenger for Broome, had been residing in Bagot-road, Subiaco; Gilbert Bailey, for Broome, had two brothers in Somersetshire, England. and had friends at Maylands; and W. Smith, a passenger for Derby had a father residing at Gaffneys' Creek, Victoria. Mr. A. S. Tayler, who was amongst the unfortunate Koombana's passenger, was well known in the Gingin district, having worked for Mr. G. J. Gooch. Mr. Taylor was a native of Berkshire, England, and landed at Fremantle in November last by the s.s. Uganda. He wis proceeding to Derby under engagement to Mr. Piper.
...
["The Koombana", The Murchison Times and Day Dawn Gazette (Cue, WA), Saturday 13 April 1912, page 3]
Perth, Friday.
There are no further tidings of the s.s. Koombana. The Adelaide Shipping Company advises the following additions to the passenger list of the Koombana: Bates, steerage for Broome, George Lawrence, shearer for Derby. Both booked aboard. Others known to be on the vessel are:-Smith (Broome), Gilbert and Bailey (Broome), Smith (Derby), and Taylor (proceeding to Derby under engagement to Mr. Piper).
["The S.S. Koombana", The Southern Argus and Wagin-Arthur Express (Perth, WA), Saturday 13 April 1912, page 3, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article209336732]
The S.S. Koombana.
A WAGIN VICTIM.
Mr J. T. West writes from Perth:-- Wagin and Ballaying friends will regret to hear that "Bill" Bailey left by the ill-fated Koombana on her last voyage. Garnet Sidney Bailey crowded a lot of experience into his short life. "Bill" spent his second Sunday in February with us, and when leaving I remarked it would be our last meeting at "Harcourt." Little did I think it would be our last meeting on earth. On my recommendation he called on Mr Oliphant, Manager of the Producers' Union in Perth, who gave him a letter of recommendation to Captain Irvine, Harbor Master. Seeing his name among the victims, Mr Oliphant made enquiries, and Captain Irvine placed Bailey's papers at his disposal. Captain Irvine wrote as follows:--"There is absolutely no doubt that poor Bailey was a passenger on the ill-fated Koombana. On March Bailey applied for a berth as clerk or purser on a boat going north. There being no vacancy, Bailey wrote again from Geraldton offering his services, as otherwise he would be a passenger for Broome 'on spec.'"
From a copy of "Bill" Bailey's references, which are all very favorable, I extract the following:--"Office boy at Harding and Co's., Bradford-on-Avon, 1898; clerk, Elder, Dempster and Co's., 1901-2; enrolled British South African police, 21st June, 1902, and served two years." From this on till 1907 he made 19 voyages from England to West Indies and West Africa. He dodged, the man with the scythe in Jamaica at the time of the big volcanic eruption, and helped to succor the wounded and bury the dead. From England he skipped to Western Australia, and took a job as farm hand at Ballaying. While there "Bill" took an active interest in the formation of the rifle club and football club, besides assisting in choir and church work, and any object for the public good. He was always ready to assist at social gatherings. Last year, he rented Mr M. Cronin's farm for three years, and it was owing to the sale of that property that "Bill" left us on the off-chance of bettering his position.
He was 30 years of age, a native of Somerset, and as far as can be ascertained had no relations in Australia. "Bill's" faults were few; they were rather of omission than commission. All who knew him will feel a pang of regret at his "passing out." Knowing "Bill" and Corporal Buttle (also well-known in Wagin), I feel sure they died, as most Britishers when up against great odds--game.
AB notes:
Jan 2020: The addition of regional newspapers to the Trove collection reveals, finally, some detail about the life of Garnet "Bill" Bailey.
["A Koombana Passenger", The Western Mail (Perth, WA), Saturday 20 April 1912, page 21]
"Maylands, April 12.
To the Editor.
Sir,--The name of one of the passengers to Broome on the Koombana was Garnet Bailey, not Gilbert, as announced in the passenger list in this morning's paper. Would you kindly make this correction, as Mr. Bailey was well known in business circles at Wagin.--Yours etc., MARY VAUGHAN."
AB notes:
Bailey was engaged to Mary Vaughan's daughter.
Vaughan's letter is to the Western Mail, but the error appeared in The West Australian (under same ownership)
["Deaths", The West Australian (Perth, WA), Tuesday 11 June 1912, page 1]
...
BAILEY.--Lost at sea, on board s.s. Koombana about March 21, Garnet Sydney Bailey, late of Wagin district, and native of Pill, Somerset, England. English papers please copy.
...
[Wreck of the "Koombana" - photocopy of material relating to, Harbour and Lights Department, Western Australia, 1912, State Records Office of Western Australia. Series 1618, Cons. 5055, Item 001, see Koombana Relief Fund correspondence]
Mr. Hare.
The following enquiries have been addressed to us in regard to persons supposed to have been lost in the s.s. "KOOMBANA":-
(1) Mr. C Blades, 55, Russell Street, Middlesborough
(This man has lost his son John Stephen Blades)
(2) Mrs. E. Fairbanks, 1, Radnor Cottages, Upton,
Bexley Heath, Kent - enquiries as to her son-in-
law, Andy Shiels.
(Yuills say name appears on their official list)
(3) Mrs. R. Mitchell, Wyncliffe, Hatherleigh, Abergavenny
Enquiries as to her brother, G. Bailey.
(Yuills say name appears on list)
...
