Henry Walter

Henry Walter suffered one of the most tragic deaths in the cemetery.

Henry had been employed as an engineer in the 1850s during the construction of the Geelong to Melbourne railway line.

In 1857 the line was opened with big celebrations and the first train, full of dignitaries and employees took the first-ever trip to Melbourne. On that initial journey, Henry leaned out of his carriage to check if there was enough distance between the track and the sides of the bridge over Cowies Creek – and there wasn’t.

He was struck on the head by an overhanging girder and was killed instantly.

It was said that the train stopped. They placed Henry’s body in the rear conductor’s carriage and continued the trip to Melbourne.

The Coroner’s inquest into his death determined that the bridge had been built to the correct dimensions and it wasn’t too close to the line, so the builders were not found to be at fault. It meant that his widow wasn’t compensated.

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