Spencer, Sydney C.
[Passenger list, "KOOMBANA" 37, compiled 04 June 1912, Adelaide Steamship Company. Broome Historical Society]
List of passengers known to have been bound for Derby.
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From Geraldton (All Steerage Passengers)
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Spencer, S.F. Prospector. Son in mail room Perth G.P.O.
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AB notes:
had been a prospector on the Murchison for many years, but prospecting not the purpose of this trip. See several below.
[Passenger list, "KOOMBANA" 37, compiled 02 April 1912, Adelaide Steamship Company. Noel Butlin Archives Centre, Australian National University, 0186/N46/634]
Geraldton-Derby Spencer S. Shearer, has son in Mail Room G.P.O.
["The Death Roll", Geraldton Express (WA), Wednesday 03 April 1912, page 3]
THE DEATH ROLL.
THE LOCAL PASSENGERS.
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The six passengers who boarded the vessel here were Messrs Wm. Lewis, S. Spencer, R. Scougall, J. W. Clarke, A. Shields and Benjamin Smith.
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S. Spencer was well-known on the Murchison, where he had been engaged in prospecting for the last fifteen years. He originally came from Victoria. He leaves a large family who reside in the Cue district, where he has also four brothers living.
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AB notes:
Take care with this report. There were fund-raising events in Cue after the disaster, but Spencer's family rate no mention.
[Barker, Malcolm, 2001, The Truth Is So Precious, Success Print, Perth, Western Australia, page53]
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A prospector, Mr S Spencer also boarded for Derby, lured no doubt by the reports of rich finds of gold south of Halls Creek.
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AB notes:
Not so fast, Malcolm! According to AWU secretary Brown, Spencer had signed up for shearing work in the north. See next.
["The Sons of Martha - A Column For The Workers", The Sunday Times (Perth, WA), Sunday 21 April 1912, page 24]
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Mr. L. T. Brown, secretary of the WA. Branch of the Australian Workers' Union, is gradually learning the names of the shearers who were on board the ill-fated Koombana. In addition to the names we have already published, he has since received definite information that Andy Shiels, --- Spence, Bill Lewis, R. Scougall, and --- Clark (all shearers) were amongst the passengers who left Geraldton on the Koombana. Bill Lewis had two friends with him, but it is not known definitely who they were.
From. the same source Mr. Brown has learnt that Syd. Sack, son of the publican at Derby, also joined the boat at Geraldton. This fact has not been previously notified, though the name of Mrs. Sack (Syd. Sack's mother) was published amongst the list of missing.
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["Koombana Victim", The Argus (Melbourne), Tuesday 16 April 1912, page 6]
INGLEWOOD, Monday.--Mr. Alfred Spencer, a well-known resident of the Glenalbyn district, has received word that his brother, Sydney Spencer, who has been in Western Australia for a number of years, was on board the lost steamer Koombana.
AB notes:
Glenalbyn is in Victoria, about 30 miles NW of Bendigo.
