BIRTH RECORD
Victorian Register of Births, Death & Marriages
Registration Number: 3014/1880
FAMILY NOTICES
BIRTHS
MORKHAM. - On the 17th inst., at her residence, Riversdale-road, East Camberwell, the wife of William Morkham of a son.
The Argus (Melbourne, Victoria) Tuesday 20th January 1880 p.1
DEATH RECORD
Victorian Register of Births, Death & Marriages
Registration Number: 12622/1896
Age at Death: 16
A LAD'S TERRIBLE DEATH
THRILLING ADVENTURE WITH SNAKE AND GUN
SUCCOR BROUGHT BY A DOG
A bush adventure of an uncommonly touching character, in connection with which a lad: named Valentine Morkham,16 years, son of Mr. William Morkham, of the Postal department, Melbourne, underwent a terrible ordeal, has been attended with a fatal termination. Young Morkham had left his home at Camberwell on Saturday morning with the intention of spending a few weeks on his father's farm at Yarra Glen. Arriving there he passed the afternoon in the company of the overseer, Mr. Thomas Walker, who was the only other person on the homestead. On arising the following morning Walker, who was going to a neighbouring farm asked the lad whether he would care to accompany him: but the latter excused himself on the ground that the weather was too hot, and the overseer went, by himself. Returning home late on Sunday evening, he found Morkham's door locked. Thinking he had retired to rest, Walker himself went to bed. On arising next day, however, he was unable to get any answer to repeated knockings, and burst in the door. Then he found to his astonishment that the bed had not been occupied, and young Morkham was nowhere to be seen. A dog belonging to the homestead was also missing. Walker strolled into the bush a little distance, and whistled loudly in the hope that the dog might be attracted towards him, and sure enough after a time the dog made its appearance. The behavior of the animal when it came up to him was so extraordinary that the overseer felt convinced that something was wrong. By its constant sharp barking and excited short runs in the direction whence it had come the animal conveyed to the overseer as plainly as could be done without the spoken word that some disaster had happened to the lad, and accordingly he started walking in the direction the dog had took. The animal commenced jumping and barking as if overjoyed to find itself understood. After a walk through the bush of The Dividing Range they came upon a shaded spot on the banks of the Yea River, about a mile from the homestead, where the missing youth was found in a fearful condition. In his right thigh was a gaping wound, which had become fly-blown, while the excessive heat and loss of blood had added ten-fold to his torture. Though still suffering intense pain, young Morkham was quite conscious and explained that after Walker left the homestead on Sunday morning, he decided to go rabbit shooting and setting out with the dog had reached the spot where he was found, when he trod upon a snake. The reptile raised its head menacingly, and fearing a bite, Morkham acting on the spur of the moment, struck at it with the butt of his gun. It would appear that either through lack of acquaintance with guns or through thoughtlessness, he was carrying the weapon at full c***, for directly the butt struck the ground both barrels of the weapon were discharged at close range into his thigh. He was rendered insensible at once, but recovered consciousness about daybreak on Monday morning, when he found the faithful dog sitting by his side. The animal had remained with him until the sound of the overseer whistling was heard when he started off to answer it, and a little while afterwards returned to the spot, bringing the overseer with him.
The services of Dr. Kilpatrick, of Lillydale, were soon obtained; and late on Monday evening Mr. and Mrs. Morkham and Dr. Soilleaux, of Camberwell, visited Yarra Glen, and conveyed the sufferer to his home at Camberwell. On Tuesday the lad was examined, and it being apparent that the only hope of saving his life was by amputation of the injured limb, that operation was successfully performed by Dr. Charles Ryan, assisted by Dr. Soilleaux and Dr. Moore. The unfortunate youth rallied somewhat after the operation but about 5 p.m. fell into a very low state, and gradually sinking expired at 7 o'clock on Wednesday evening.
Source: The Age (Melbourne, Victoria) Wednesday 25th November 1896 p.5
THE BUSH TRAGEDY.
INVESTIGATED BY MR. CANDLER
The coroner for Bourke investigated at Camberwell the circumstances of the death of Master Eustace Valentine Morkham, 16 years of age, whose death from the effects of a gunshot would have been reported in “The Argus.” The evidence of Mr. Thomas Walker, of Kinglake, corroborated the details already published, and showed further that the deceased had on several previous occasions used the gun with which he accidentally shot himself. Mr. William Morkham, father of the deceased, having given formal testimony, the jury returned the verdict, “That the deceased died from the effects of a gunshot wound caused by the gun exploding accidentally, when the deceased was endeavouring to kill a snake.
The Argus (Melbourne, Victoria) Friday 27th November 1896 p.6
FAMILY NOTICES
BEREAVEMENT CARDS
MR. and Mrs. WILLIAM MORKHAM and Family desire to intimate to their friends and the public generally their grateful appreciation of the condolence and sympathy contained in letters and telegrams, and of the many floral tributes of love and esteem received on the occasion of their recent bereavement.
(The Argus (Melbourne, Victoria) November 30th 1896 p.1)