BILSBOROUGH, Thomas Henry
Name – BILSBOROUGH, Thomas Henry
Born – 2/05/1908
Died – 17/12/1935
Location – No 20 Anglican Section
Mother – Ada Alice Woodhouse
Father – John Thomas Bilsborough
Notes – Thomas was born at Bingara on the 2nd of May, 1908 to Ada and John Bilsborough. He had three sisters, Alice Maud (Mrs Edgar Prause) and Vida Sylvania (Mrs Henry Prause) and Dulcie Eveline (Mrs Sydney Martin).
Thomas was a groomsman for Vida’s wedding in 1930. At the time of Vida and Alice’s weddings, Thomas’s parents also lived at Cabawin.
Thomas died in a very rare, unusual and tragic manner. It was Christmas time and Thomas was heading off to visit his parents, who had by this time moved to Texas. December is an extremely hot time of year to travel in the Tara region, but this was a special occasion so Thomas loaded up his buggy and with his best mate, his blue cattle dog, and they set out for Texas.
It appears he had not gone too far from his home, when he must have needed a drink of water. When he reached for the bottle of water, the dog must have decide he needed a drink too, and jumped over a loaded rifle which went off and shot his owner straight through the heart. Poor man to die as a result of such a freak accident.
As you will read in the attached newspaper article, Thomas wasn’t found straight away, and when he was found by some drovers, his faithful dog would not let anyone near his master’s body.
One report states his sister was sent for from Cabawin to help get the dog away from him, but it appears a policeman on the scene of the accident, finally got the dog to leave his masters body by giving him a drink out of his hat.
An inquest was held into the unusual circumstances of Thoma’s death. Life can be cruel as in the case of this young man.
Thomas grave is marked with a plaque which reads – In remembrance of Thomas H Bilsborough. At Rest.
Newspaper Article – Click Here
War Service File –
Learn more about the Tara Cemetery here.