Storyboard - WHAT'S IN A NAME?
Name Plaques for the unmarked gravesites at the Darkan Cemetery was a project I'd set myself
after a discussion with my granddaughters in 2014. The unmarked Grave numbers and names I
took from a type-written copy of the Burial Index of Darkan Cemetery.
After a month’s research, I had contacted descendants or family historians of all but 3 of the 15
unmarked graves.
One of the three queries was... H. Slater — no Death date - who was he or she? I couldn't find any
conclusive answers after my usual methods of searching. all drew a blank. I didn't like giving up
on this name but I didn't have an answer.
The new metal Name Plaques were made and engraved, thanks to donations from The Bleat
Newspaper and The Tidy Towns Committee. Our local businessman, Gus Plank kindly made up the
metal plaque holders.
Months passed and one day an email arrived in our Inbox from a Jack Slater. He was seeking the
burial place of his G/Uncle, Ira George Slater who, according to his Death Certificate was buried in
the Darkan Cemetery. My first thought... could this be the H. Slater I was seeking? What a
coincidence!!
Emails and phone calls were exchanged between us. Jack had received both correct and incorrect
information from others in his search. After Jack doing more research at the State Library, he
concluded.... YES, his G/uncle, Ira George Slater was the H. Slater in the unmarked grave at
Darkan.
Now we both had an answer for the unfortunate young Ira.
Article taken from the Great Southern Leader Newspaper, 8 Dec 1922.
"Drowning fatality at Darkan. — a drowning fatality occurred in Hillman River near Darkan on
Saturday evening last, when a young Scotch immigrant named Ira G. Slater. 23 years of age, met
his death. The deceased, who had only arrived in "Largs Bay" a couple of weeks ago, was
employed by Mr. J. Symonds and on Saturday evening went for a bathe in one of the Hillman River
pools and not being able to swim got into difficulties from which his mate, another young immigrant
named Cyril Thackrah, was unable to rescue him. '
On a hot Saturday in November 2016, almost 95 years from Ira's death, Jack Slater & Sara travelled
from the city to meet us for a more personal chat and comparison of notes. He visited the gravesite of his G/UncIe at the Darkan cemetery and to the Hillman River near the site of Joe Symonds farm, where Ira drowned.
Jack is organising a new Grave Plaque with Ira's correct name. He will be back when the Grave
Plaques are placed onto the gravesites, hopefully this year.
So, every Name has a story can I still find.... The Davey Child??????
Lani Munday
First published in “Bleat” issue 582