The Eastern Goldfields Historical Society (EGHS) hosted a small public ceremony at the Old Boulder Cemetery on Thursday morning to commemorate the installation of a headstone for Victor Watts, more than a century after his tragic death in 1902.
Victor Watts’ passing deeply affected the mining and sporting communities of the early Eastern Goldfields. The restoration of his headstone now stands as a lasting tribute to his life, his contributions to the community, and the enduring bonds formed among the region’s pioneers.
Born in Burra, South Australia, on 7 December 1872, Victor was the son of William and Jane Watts. He later moved to Western Australia, where he worked as a miner and became a respected athlete and community figure.
Tragedy struck on 22 May 1902 while Victor was working at the Perseverance Gold Mine in Boulder. A fall of stone at the 200-foot level of No. 1 stope claimed his life. A fellow miner later recalled the moment at the Coroner’s Inquest, describing how a sudden crack in the rock gave way before anyone could react.
Victor was laid to rest two days later, on 24 May 1902, at the Original Boulder Cemetery. His funeral drew a large crowd of miners, family, friends, and members of the Mines Rovers Football Club. The cortege was described as one of the largest ever seen in Boulder, reflecting the deep respect held for him.
A talented footballer, Victor first gained recognition in South Australia in 1894 before moving west. He played for teams in Fremantle, Coolgardie, and Boulder City, eventually joining the Mines Rovers Football Club, where he served as captain in the season of his death. He was also a member of the Western Australian Athletic League and was known as a capable short-distance sprinter.
Contemporary reports described him as a man of strong character and sportsmanship, whose death brought widespread sorrow among athletes and miners alike.
In August 1902, a football match between Mines Rovers and Warriors was organised to raise funds for a headstone for Victor’s grave. The event drew a large crowd, but despite the community’s efforts, the headstone was never installed.
More than a century later, in 2006, researchers Tess Thomson and Moya Sharp discovered a marble headstone inscribed “In memory of Victor Watts, a native of Burra” and “Erected by his mates from the Mines Rovers Football Club” lying face down in the yard of 42 Moran Street, Boulder. The property had once belonged to Dr Henry Irwin, a respected local physician and Life Member of the Mines Rovers Football Club. The reason the headstone was never placed on Victor’s grave remains a mystery.
In November 2025, the Eastern Goldfields Historical Society, with the assistance of Ken Ball, Jim Cluse, and dedicated volunteers, reinstated Victor Watts’ headstone at the Original Boulder Cemetery. The ceremony marked a long-overdue act of remembrance, honouring a man whose legacy continues to echo through the history of the Eastern Goldfields.
