McGowan, Frank (or J. Frank)
[Passenger list, "KOOMBANA" 37, compiled 04 June 1912, Adelaide Steamship Company. Broome Historical Society]
List of passengers known to have been bound for Derby.
...
From Port Hedland (Steerage)
McGowan J? Frank Mother, Mrs. Peter McGowan
...
["The Passengers", The West Australian, Wednesday 03 April 1912, page 7]
FOR DERBY.
Saloon.
...
Mr. J. McGowan.
...
["The Koombana", The West Australian, Saturday 30 March 1912, page 11]
...
PASSENGERS AND CREW.
...
Last night, however, the Adelaide Company received from their Port Hedland office a list of the passengers booked there to join the Koombana, which list does not include Mr. Davis's name. The names despatched by the Hedland office are as follow:--
For Broome: Joseph Johnson, Capt. Stuart, H. Brider, Hassan, a Japanese, aboriginal and Malay prisoners.
For Derby: J. McGowan.
...
["The Missing Koombana", Geraldton Guardian (WA), Saturday 30 March 1912, page 3]
...
The Adelaide S.S. Company has received from its Hedland office a list of the passengers booked there who joined the Koombana for Broome, as follows:- Joseph Johnson, Capt. Stuart, Brider[sic], Hassan, and Japanese, Aboriginal and Malay prisoners. For Derby: Mr. McGowan.
[Research file "s.s. Koombana", 1973-. Department of Maritime Archeology, Western Australian Museum, 189/73/1, Letter in reply, dated 01 May 1984, to Mrs Eileen Mahonen, regarding her uncle, Koombana passenger Frank McGowan]
reply by Scott Sledge to
Mrs Eileen Mahonen
[address withheld]
dated 1 May 1984
which discusses her Uncle Frank McGowan who went down on the Koombana
[Research file "s.s. Koombana", 1973-. Department of Maritime Archeology, Western Australian Museum, 189/73/1, Letter from Mrs Eileen Mahonen, 16 March 1984]
there is addtional info on the McGowan clan in her letter of 16/3/84
eg brothers Peter James Phillip Francis
sisters Bella Katie Maggie?
also mention of Dandaragan Gingin Toodyay Moora
[Personal communication, Bethwyn Brandis, granddaughter of Koombana passenger Fred Clinch, 25 May 2005]
Background: In March 2002 Mrs Brandis, granddaughter of Fred Clinch, sought to contact with other descendants of those lost on the Koombana. She placed an advertisement in The West Australian under the heading "Can you help?". She was very surprised at the response and has recorded the correspondence which followed. Amongst her correspondents:
Jim McGowan
[address withheld]
"Jim was 87 when he wrote to me. His uncle Frank McGowan was on the Koombana. He relied on any information I could pass on to him."
["Koombana's Passenger List", Broome Chronicle (WA), Saturday 30 March 1912]
KOOMBANA'S PASSENGER LIST.
...
For Derby.
Mrs. Sack and grandchild
Meesrs. Piper (2)
Mr W. Milne
Corporal Buttle
Mr. F. McGovern
Mr. R. Grome?
Mr. J. Craig
Dean Spark
Mr. Jenkins and daughter
Mr. Clinch
Mr. Thos. Forrest
Mr. Saunders
Mr. W. Cowen
[www.whitepages.com.au, Sunday, 05 June 2005]
Tried without success to find a Mahonen or Mahoney or Mahony anywhere. Nothing that leaps out; I will raise this with Jim McGowan if I can contact him.
[Jim McGowan, letter to Bethwyn Brandis, 19 March 2002, in response to published request for contact by descendants of those lost with Koombana]
hand-written letter from Jim McGowan, 87, of Duncraig
to Bethwyn Brandis;
letter undated but envelope postmarked 19 March 2002]
J. McGOWAN
44 Poynter Drive
Duncraig South
6023
To
B. Brandis
In answer to
your request regards
Koombana, Yes my Dads
Brother Frank McGowan
was a passenger & we have
always been interested on
any news of the ship, we
did hear a while ago that
they were going to put
a plaque at Port Hedland
with all the names, but
not being their I wouldent
Know if they had, I hope
that one day the Ship will be
found I am the last of his
Family still alive & I am 87
years now, It is always nice
to hear from someone else
with the same interest
in the ship as myself.
Yours Truly Jim McGowan
[Jim McGowan, letter to Bethwyn Brandis, 23 April 2002, continuing an exchange of information regarding Koombana]
second letter from Jim McGowan, 87, of Duncraig to Bethwyn Brandis of Mukinbudin;
letter undated but envelope postmarked 23 April 2002]
Dear Bethwyn
That was very
nice of you to take the Trouble
to send me the papers of 1912
made good reading & it has been
around the family, as a few years
ago we looked into our Family
tree & have got quite a lot
from when my people came out
to Australia on the Ship the
Minden in 1851 My grandmother
was six years of age & as she lost
her husband after she grew up
& got Married she lived with
our family from the time I started
school until she died in 1937
& I was 23, she had four Boys
Phill Peter Frank & Jim, in the
passenger list in thoes papers it
had J McGowan, But that was my Dad
it was Frank that went down
on the ship, have you got the full
passenger list & is there a
Frank McGowan there to, Thanks
again for the papers its a bit
more for our Family Tree &
as I had a paper with the ship
Koombana, I had one taken off
to send you in case you
havent got one, I thought it was
a good one of the ship. My wife
said if anytime you are
in Perth Drop in for a Cupa
would be nice to meet you
Bye for now
Jim & Flo
AB notes:
not J. McGowan; definitely Frank (but brother Jim may also have been in Hedland)
[Jim McGowan, letter to Bethwyn Brandis, 30 May 2002]
Dear Bethwyn,
Many thanks for
your beaut letter you told me
many things that we didn't know
like the ones that were on it
& the Lucky ones that missed
it Brings to mind that ones
life is all mapped out, as
about 1950 I was Booked on
the Plane Bungana to fly
to Melbourne for my firm
& at the last moment they
told me that the Book Keeper
would be going in my place
as he would like to take
his 14 year old Son as he
had just finished his TEE
& would be a nice surprise
for him, the plane came down
about York, all killed, so Luck
is a fortune.
When I was 17 year's
old I went to work on a Station
out of Port Hedland, it didn't work
out, so Back in Port Hedland
I had to go to the Police Station
to help me get in touch with
my Family, & when I told him
my name he asked me if I was
Related to a Frank McGowan
that was on the Koombana I said
I was & he got down a book that
had the news of the sinking
& this is what he told me,
It was only six hours out of port
they got a SoS but nothing more.
Anyway Thanks again for your Letter
Regards Jim & Flo