Supported and Managed by TDDA

COMMUNITY FUNDRAISING CAMPAIGN: DONATE NOW https://gofund.me/790079d1

JOE TAYLOR – UNMARKED STOCKMAN’S GRAVE GWAMBEGWINE
March 2025, Target $1500

You may recall a story in the Taroom Tidings last year (Oct-Nov), regarding 30-year-old English stockman JOSEPH WILLIAM TAYLOR (Pommy Joe), who drowned in 1954 when he came off his horse crossing the flooded Gwambegwine Creek to repair telephone party lines that had cut communications with town and neighbours completely.  Waterways all over the district were flooded. The station had been cut off for weeks and supplies were running low.

Doug Day was a young manager  of Gwambegwine, the same age as his loyal employee Joe Taylor.  Laurie Pointing was a 17-year-old ringer who had been a friend of Joe’s since arriving in the district 2 years earlier. Laurie witnessed the tragic death of his mate Joe and was one of a handful of mourners at Joe’s burial after his body was recovered 5 days later.

Joseph William Taylor was buried in the saturated ground, in the clothes he was wearing, by his stockman mates Bob McCorry, Max Archilles, and Laurie Pointing. Manager Doug Day, a man of few words who had known Joe the longest, spoke quietly about their workmate lost. The short service was officiated by Sergeant WJ (Jim) Johnson. Police Constable FG (Ted) Warner and JP (Pat) Moore were named as witnesses to the burial on 18th February 1954 on Joe’s death certificate. JOE TAYLOR has been lying in an unmarked grave in Gwambegwine Station cemetery, on the banks of the creek that took his life, ever since.

Laurie Pointing has now lived for 88 years, and he would like nothing more than to see a fitting memorial to mark the final resting place of Joe Taylor, a ringer who lost his life simply by doing his job in a place he loved on the other side of the world from whence he came.  Laurie is the only living person who was there at the time.

LAURIE POINTING wrote a poem about his mate, “Yorkshire Joe” which tells the story of his demise. I am raising funds to pay for the production of two brass plaques – (1) A simple 7-line memorial  ($400); (2) the poem, so visitors to the grave will forever know the story of the stockman who lies there. 

Can I find 100 people who are willing to shout Pommy Joe a couple of beers to fund the marking of his grave?

I need just 100 people to donate $15 to  complete this project.  I am seeking donations of any amount you are comfortable to give, and all donations will be gratefully received.

DONATE VIA GO-FUND-ME
Leesa Bongers Taroom Tales (Community Fundraisers)

EXCESS FUNDS – TDDA APPROVED PROJECTS

Should excess funds be raised from this campaign, that money will be held by the Taroom District Development Association to help with the next grave restoration project – the graves of Marian Salsbury (died 1880 aged 40, mother of 10, buried at Walangara); and her husband Robert (died 1897 aged 63, father of 20, buried at Bedourie). Mr and Mrs Salsbury were true pioneers of the district, living and working in the toughest of conditions. But that is the next project. First, I need to raise $1500 to honour the life of Pommy Joe Taylor.

MORE INFORMATION

If you would like to know more about these projects or other informal historical stories of Taroom, follow my social media pages (Facebook accounts Taroom Tales; and Glenhaughton Ringers), Podcast stories (Leesa Bongers Taroom Tales) and YouTube videos (Leesa Bongers Taroom Tales)