Nicholas Constantine

Nicholas Constantine had arrived in Western Australia from Sydney onboard the SS Rockton eight months earlier, with plans to work in the Coolgardie goldfields. He was accompanied by his cousin, George Paul, from New South Wales.

He had no money and held no property, and after achieving “very bad luck” in the gold rush, his cousin offered him work in fishing. Nicholas and George were Greek nationals, and had worked and lived together for the most part of nine years, where they had previously sailed on a ship for Australia from England.

George Paul was renting a boat owned by Mr. Mews, with a fellow Greek, named Leon. On 7 November 1895, he left Fremantle with Nicholas onboard to fish west of Rottnest Island.

At about 2pm that day they set about to return to Fremantle. When they were about five miles from the west end of the Island, Nicholas was “making water” on the port bow, when the jib-boom struck him and knocked him overboard. Nicholas could not swim.

George immediately hauled the boat to the wind and went to rescue him, but he sank before the boat could get to him. George then put the boat to Rottnest Island, arriving at about 4:10pm, where he reported the incident to Colonel Angelo. Angelo sent one of the Pilot boat crew, named Charles Keogh, to assist him to bring his boat back to Fremantle, and to search for the body, but it was never found.

George Paul was a naturalised British subject, but had lost his papers. He had spent a long time in the colony and had been fishing off Rottnest for about six months. He lived in a tent with Nicholas, alongside the Government Tanks in North Fremantle, on the north side of the bridge.

Not long after the tragedy, sub-inspector Bailey received a report that the Keeper of the Oyster Saloon in High Street, on hearing of the incident, laughed and said he was very pleased to hear it. This initiated an investigation by Detective Smyth, who concluded that there was no evidence of ill-feeling between the deceased and his countrymen, and that as far as he could ascertain, the drowning of the deceased was purely accidental.

During his enquiry the only belongings he discovered were two old blankets belonging to Constantine.

Nicholas Constantine was around 23 years of age, single, and left behind a Mother on a Greek Island.