Patrick John Sullivan

Patrick John Sullivan was born in Fremantle on 9 February 1893, to John Sullivan and Julia Hayes. He died just before his 20th birthday.

Sullivan had “for years been following the occupation of a fisherman” and had just returned from a successful fishing cruise. He had left his home at 6pm on the afternoon of 28 January and was last seen alive at 11:30pm, standing on the wharf almost opposite where later his body was recovered.

When he did not return to his home it was thought at first that he had put out again to sea. Inquiries among fishermen showed he had not boarded in any of the boats which sailed from the harbour since the day he was last seen.

His body was recovered from the Fremantle Harbour in the early hours of 1 February by water police, near the east end of Victoria Quay.

An inquest was formally opened later that same day before Mr. E. P. Dowley, R.M (the acting-coroner) and a jury of three. Sergeant Simpson conducted the inquiry.

Evidence was given by Water Police Constable Lyons that he last saw the deceased around midnight on 28 January. Sullivan was then perfectly sober and in excellent spirits. He had expressed his intention to board his fishing boat the Victory, which contained clothes and a kit, and was at the east end of the Quay. Lyons walked with the deceased to the eastern extremity of the Quay where he left him. Lyons noticed the deceased go under the wharf for his dinghy, and that was the last time he was seen alive.

At the spot where the dinghy was kept there was a steep embankment. He could not swim, and it is thought likely that while stepping into the dinghy at the wharf side he lost his footing and slipped into the water.

The jury returned a verdict that the deceased met his death by drowning, but there was no evidence to show how he had got in the water.

His funeral took place on 3 February and was well attended with the chief mourners being his surviving Mother, brothers Daniel and Michael Sullivan and sister Elizabeth. He is buried in the Roman Catholic portion of the Fremantle Cemetery.