Acknowledgements

In gathering together information for this website I would like to acknowledge the following people. I am most grateful for all their assistance and patience in helping me thus far:-

Libby Hoskin, (now former) Local History Project Officer for the Shire of Roebourne. Libby very kindly answered my emails, with their many questions and has conducted research for me including sending me copies of maps and even drawing me a mud map to help me decipher those maps that were difficult to read. Her ongoing enthusiasm for this project and helpfulness is wonderful.

The librarians and archivists at the Battye Library and State Records Office. Special thanks to Tim Lethorn and also Tom Reynolds.

Jill Maughan, Hon. Librarian at the Royal Western Australian Historical Society Inc. who tracked down a photo of Henry Burrup and provided me with all its details.

Margaret Whitlock, whose husband is the first cousin once removed of the Rev. Edwin Parker. Margaret provided me with wonderful information on Edwin (and his photo) with excerpts from his memoir relating to Thomas Anketell and Henry Burrup.

Peggy Kennedy, Manager, Group Archives, ANZ Bank, (now retired) who searched the Bank’s archives in order to provide answers to all my questions and giving me some additional information that also included a clearer photo of Henry Burrup.

Peter Marinick, Archivist, Group Archives, ANZ Bank who provided me with some written hearsay accounts of the murders including that of F.C. Broadhurst and also conducted an extensive search to try and locate the detective reports that William Anketell sent to the Inspector of the Union Bank in Melbourne. The reports cannot be found.

Graeme Sisson, Archivist for the Western Australian Police Historical Society Inc. Graeme has been incredibly helpful answering all my questions and I do urge everyone to visit the society’s website at http://policewahistory.org.au/ It is a most interesting site and if you could contribute to the Society’s archives that would be wonderful.

Gay Fielding who has given me very interesting background material on some of her ancestors and how they relate to the photo of Henry Burrup.

And finally, my great uncle, Max Day, for sharing with me his interest in the Roebourne Bank murders and for passing on his knowledge, records and our family history in the Nor’west. It would be great to have a yarn with him and to also ask him more questions, but sadly he isn’t with us anymore.

Fran Yeoh
Contact: fran@roebournebankmurders.com

Recommended Reading

The Roebourne Bank Murders is just one story out of many, in the fascinating history of the North West. There are so many tales of trials and tribulations, triumphs, tragedies and injustices. If you would like to read more about this area’s social history, then you may find, as I did, the following books particularly interesting:

The Challenge and the Chance, The Colonisation and Settlement of North West Australia 1861-1914 by K. Forrest

Spinifex and Hessian: Women in North-West Australia, 1860-1900

Yeera-Muk-A-Doo: A Saga of the North-West: An Authentic History of the First Settlement of North West Australia told through the Withnell and Hancock Families, 1861 to 1980 by Nancy E. Taylor

Cossack Gold by W. Lambden Owen