O’Brien, William

Accidentally drowned while crossing Western Creek. A very pitiful story is reported from Kensington, on the road between Muttaburra and Winton. John O’Brien, who was for some six years stockman at Arrington, was groom at Cobb’s Stage, situated about eight miles from the Kensington Hotel. During the recent rains he left his home one morning, stating he was going for rations, and would be back by 8 p.m. He did not return, and after three days, during which time Mrs. O’Brien and her four young children suffered keenly from starvation, the poor woman concluded something had happened her husband, and determined to take herself and children to the hotel. She started out in the rain, but the four little ones could not walk through the heavy and rain-sodden blacksoil. She then carried two of the children a few hundred yards, returning again for the other two. This slow progress was maintained nearly all day, until at nightfall the unfortunate woman and her babies were within three miles of the hotel, when she sank down utterly exhausted, and must have perished had not two horsemen, the first travellers for days, passed. They at once took Mrs. O’Brien and her little ones to the hotel, where Mr. Jordan, the landlord, gave the sufferers every attention. O’Brien was subsequently found drowned, having evidently lost his depth while crossing the creek. [Source: BARCALDINE. (1892, February 16). Morning Bulletin (Rockhampton, Qld.: 1878 – 1954), p. 6. Retrieved August 26, 2014, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article52430449]