John RolstonPrint Page

The memorial over the grave, was erected by friends and fellow employees, to commemorate John Rolston who died in 1891 as a result of injuries he received in a train accident. 

Railway Accident.-On Thursday last, as a special engine was conveying the railway inspector, Mr. Proudfoot, and others from Bourke to Dubbo, and was travelling at the rate of about 40 miles an hour, the engine, owing to a " lift" in one of the sleepers, left the rails about halfway between Narramine and Dubbo, and after travelling several chains along the sleepers toppled over on the north side of the line. Fortunately, the coupling to the carriage broke, which prevented it sharing a similar fate, and jeopardising the lives of those inside. The driver Rolston, and the foreman Youll, stuck bravely to the engine, and only when it toppled over, they managed to fortunately jump clear of it; although one of them received a few bruises from some falling coal from the tender.

Although assistance was speedily obtained from Dubbo, and a large body of men were on the spot, the line was so ploughed up that the up-mail train was six hours late in reaching Dubbo, and then the passengers had to walk, and luggage carried over the damaged portion of the line ard transferred to another train. The line was sufficiently repaired next day to allow the mail train to proceed slowly over tho spot, while a few hours later the damaged engine was righted, and brought to Dubbo for repairs. 
Excerpt from Australian Town and Country Journal (Sydney), 21 March 1891.

DUBBO, Monday. John Ralston (sic), who was engine-driver of the special train carrying Mr. Proudfoot and others, which met with an accident about 10 days ago between Dubbo and Narramine, died on Saturday night at his residence, Dubbo. At the time of the accident, although he was in delicate health, he was able to attend to his duties, and it was thought that he was uninjured, but eventually he had to take to his bed. His death no doubt was accelerated by internal injuries received. 
Excerpt from Daily Telegraph (Sydney), 24 March 1891.

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