Mercy Gregory Print Page 
The drinking fountain commemorates Coolgardie nurse, Mercy Gregory, who was murdered in Sydney, New South Wales in 1906.
When the call was made for nurses on the West Australian goldfields, Mercy Gregory (Taylor) went to Coolgardie and became a nurse at the Hospital. She later married the popular proprietor of the United Club Hotel, Mr J.A.P. Gregory who was a councillor at the time of her death. In January 1906, she went to Sydney for a holiday and was stabbed to death in her room at the Royal Hotel in George Street. The suspect was Thomas Quinlan, aged 16, who believed because Mrs Gregory had travelled from Coolgardie she would be carrying a large amount of gold. Quinlan was found guilty and sentenced to death but the sentence was commuted to life imprisonment because of his youth. Quinlan volunteered for active service when World War One broke out and was killed on the Western Front in 1916.
At a public meeting in Coolgardie on Tuesday night it was decided to erect a drinking fountain in the Municipal Gardens at Coolgardie to the memory of Mrs. Mercy Gregory, who was murdered in Sydney. Mrs. Gregory was the first matron of the Coolgardie Hospital.
The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW), 8th February 1906.
Fountain Unveiling 1906Location
| Address: | Bayley Street, Coolgardie, 6429 |
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| State: | WA |
| Area: | AUS |
| GPS Coordinates: | Lat: -30.954167 Long: 121.162222 Note: GPS Coordinates are approximate. |
Details
| Monument Type: | Fountain |
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| Monument Theme: | People |
| Sub-Theme: | Crime |
Dedication
| Actual Monument Dedication Date: | Sunday 2nd September, 1906 |
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Erected to the memory of Mercy Gregory by her loving friends
Coolgardie 2nd September 1906.
