The Three Lost Children of Daylesford

Lost in the Wombat Forest

Today is the 158th anniversary of the disappearance of three small boys, who went missing when they were outside playing. This tragic story became known as The Three Lost Children of Daylesford, and is still referred to as such.

On June 30, 1867, three young boys, William Graham age 6, his brother Thomas, age 4, and their friend Alfred Burman age 5, wandered from their homes in Daylesford, Victoria, while searching for goats along the Wombat Creek. Their homes backed onto the Wombat Forest, and the children often went outside their house yard to play. When they failed to return, a search party was quickly formed, but efforts were halted at nightfall as a severe frost set in.

A Community in Action

Over the following days, the search grew rapidly. Locals, miners, woodcutters, and mounted police scoured the bush. By July 3, more than 600 people were searching, on foot and on horseback. People came very long distances on horseback to search for the children.

This was a reenactment which was done for interstate and overseas newspapers.

Businesses closed to allow more townspeople to join, and a reward fund was raised at a public meeting. The search was highly organized, with areas mapped out, and volunteers grouped with experienced bushmen.

Aboriginal trackers and dogs were used in the search, but previous searches had destroyed any traces of the boys. Shops in the town were closed for 7 days, and large numbers of people searched before they were called off.

Despite intense effort, poor weather and difficult terrain hampered progress. Hopes began to fade. The weather was very cold as it was winter and it often snowed in this area. On July 16, the boys’ fathers publicly thanked the community for their support. The search had found no trace of their boys.

from: Daylesford Express, July 4, 1867:
“The greatest excitement prevailed in the town last evening as night fell, and the hundreds who joined in the search returned in groups, each bearing the sorrowful tidings that nothing had been seen or heard of the poor little fellows. In every direction the people turned out with the most praiseworthy zeal, the great body of them assembling at the Specimen Hill works, and spreading out in the direction in which the boys were thought to have gone. All the work- men on the Corinella mine, the Telegraph saw-mills, Clarke’s mills, and nearly all the splitters in the forest, so soon as they heard of the search laid aside their tools and joined; but, as said, with no result, except that Mr. Joseph Parker, one of a considerable body of horsemen, and an admirable tracker, detected about two miles further bushward footprints in every respect the same as those seen on the previous day, but only at one place could the trace be got.

So soon as it was known that another day’s search had been fruitless, it was resolved, as if by a spontaneous ebullition of public feeling, to hold a meeting of the inhabitants at Bleackley’s Hotel. The towncrier went through the principal streets, and at eight o’clock the fire-bell was rung, immediately after which the large room in the hotel was crammed to suffocation, and more were standing outside than would have filled it again. The mayor was called to the chair, and briefly stated the object of the meeting, and asked for such suggestions as were likely to ensure a proper search. A short but earnest discussion followed, in which the necessity of a more organised search than had yet been made was recognised. It was then proposed, and unanimously agreed to, that all places of business in the town be shut on the following day (Wednesday), that every inhabitant able to join in the search might have an opportu nity of doing so; and the Rev. Mr. Pollard, the Mayor, and Councillor Knox were ap-pointed and undertook to wait on the few merchants and tradesmen not present and ask their concurrence, that their employés might join the rest of their townsmen.

Mr. Inspector Smith stated what had been done, and that he had telegraphed to every place where there were black trackers to have them sent on ; and Mr. Joseph Parker said that he, so soon as the meeting was over, would start for and bring with him in the morning two young men who in following up a trail were equal to any black trackers. These statements were received with much applause, as was one made by Captain O’Connell, that the Volunteer Fire Brigade had, prior to the public meeting, resolved on turning out on the morrow to a man and making a search.

Mr. Inspector Smith suggested that all who intended to join in the search should meet at the Specimen Hill works, the manager of which had, in case anyone might lose his way, offered to keep the engine whistle, which could be heard two miles, continually sounding for their guidance after nightfall. He also impressed on every volunteer the necessity of taking a little bread and wine with him, in case of discovering the lost ones, and cautioned those who found them against bringing them too suddenly into a heated room, and gave instructions for their treatment.

The utmost unanimity was shown in the wish to join in the search, and that it might be done effectually and systematically it was resolved that they act in companies, under the guidance of captains to be selected not from their position or status but from their qualifications as bushmen. Mr. Johnson produced a map of the district, and it was apportioned out among them us follows :—Messrs. Bleackley and Vickery — Stony Creek and Blind Creek; Messrs. Johnson, Wardle, J. Parker, and Hartley—Blind Creek (Upper) and Wombat Creek;–Messrs. Henderson and Kreckler—West of Kangaroo and Wombat Creeks; Messrs. Austin, Theo.Parker, and Reynolds—The outlying districts as far as the Dividing Range, and from Leonard’s Hill easterly as far as Leache’s.

It was resolved that the fire-bell be rung at six in the morning, and that all the townsmen meet in Vincent Street at seven, so as to be at Specimen-hill, meet those there and be placed under captains, and commence the search at eight o’clock. The arrangements, are such as give a reasonable prospect of the missing children being discovered, dead or alive. So earnest and general a desire on the part of the people of Daylesford to aid in the attempt to recover the lost ones is in the highest degree creditable to them, and if anything in such circumstances could be so, must be gratifying to the disconsolate parents. We have said that after nightfall the whistle of the Specimen Hill engine will sound continuously, in case any of the searchers may lose their way. It was also stated that in the event of the recovery of the children the whistle would sound every ten minutes, to recall the searchers.”

from The Daylesford Express, 16 July 1867: “To the Editor of The Express, Sir, Now that the public excitement has partially subsided with regard to the ‘Three Lost Boys’, we beg to return our sincere and heartfelt thanks to the inhabitants of Daylesford and surrounding districts, for the great and praiseworthy search they have made for the recovery of the children.

None have been more astonished than we have been at the mighty phalans of human aid, aye, and brute aid too, that have been engaged in this search, and although all efforts have been unsuccessful, the public sympathy has been a source of great consolation to ourselves and the distressed mothers.

When we have returned home night after night to tell the same sad tale of our want of success; when we have recounted to them the deeds of endurance and energy, and the great sacrifice of time and money, this community have suffered, their tears have been dried, and we have all been satisfied with the assurance that all that human aid can do, has been done on this occasion.

We still trust and hope that with Divine aid the bodies of the children may yet be found ere long, not forgetting ‘There is a Divinity that shapes our ends, rough hew then how we will’.

In conclusion, we beg again to tender our heartfelt thanks to the public for the seal and energy evinced to restore us our lost children. Our prayer is that, no parents will ever have to mourn for the loss and death of their children in the wild bush of Australia.

WILLIAM GRAHAM and BENJAMIN BURMAN Fathers of the Lost Children”

A Tragic Discovery

On September 13, a splitter’s dog returned home carrying a child’s boot containing a small foot. The following day, a search led to a hollow tree near Musk Creek, just a few kilometres from where the boys were last seen. Inside the tree lay the remains of the two younger boys, huddled together. William was found nearby, seemingly having tried to protect the others.

The children had tragically died of exposure and starvation, likely within a day or two of going missing. They were heartbreakingly close to safety, just 200 metres from a bush hut and an often used track.

from: The Sydney Morning Herald, Monday 23 September, 1867: “The great mystery which has surrounded the fate of the three children lost on Sunday, the 30th June, has been cleared away. Early on Saturday morning it became known that traces of them had been found on the previous afternoon, about a mile and a half from Wheeler’s saw-mills on Musk Creek, and about three miles from Specimen Hill, where they were last seen alive, and within a distance variously estimated at from 150 to 200 yards from the hut of a splitter named McKay, and about the same distance from a road in daily use by splitters and men engaged in carting wood to the saw-mills, and early on Saturday fore- noon further tidings were brought to town that the bodies of two of the children had been found in a hollow tree, the bones of the third being scattered about. It is matter of surprise that from the tree in which they were they did not hear carts pass- ing, or that the carters did not hear or see the children; but it is probable that they arrived there at night tired and exhausted, and lay down and slept the sleep that knows no waking. It is further probable, from the locality in which the children were found, that if their wanderings were not over on the night of the Sunday on which they left their homes, they did not live through the bitter cold of the following Monday night.

The circumstances attending the discovery of the remains of the children appear to be as follows :— On Friday, about midday, M’Kay proceeded to the Fern Creek, a short distance from his horse, for a bucket of water, his dog accompanying him. On his return he met a neighbour named Charles Stewart, and while they were talking M’Kay’s dog passed, but without attracting any notice. M’Kay and Stewart parted, and on proceeding to his hut M’Kay’s attention was called to his dog by observing he had something in his mouth, which he found to be a boot with a part of a child’s foot in it. M’Kay at once guessed that the remains of the children could not be far distant, and he went in search of Stewart, to whom he showed the boot. They immediately commenced a search, which was continued without any success for two hours, when they left off, and word was sent to the saw-mills. Mr. Riddle then joined them, and the search was renewed, and kept up till night- fall. When M’Kay went home the dog brought up to the hut a skull, but the darkness and torrents of rain prevented any renewal of the search till Saturday morning, when Mr. Wheeler, M.L.A., Mr. Riddle, M’Kay, Stewart, and two brothers named David and Ninian Bryan, met at M’Kay s. The dog was let loose, and they posted them- selves on as elevated situations as they could select to watch him, thinking he would direct his steps to the place from which he had twice brought such sad evidence of the fate of the little ones ; but he refused to leave the hut.

The party named then formed themselves into a search party, going abreast at a certain distance from each other. Proceeding in this way for a short distance, David Bryan, in jumping a log forming part of a fence, discovered some bones and clothes lying about, and exclaimed, ” Here they are!” His brother Ninian was next to him, but on the opposite side of the log. Starting to join his brother, he went round a large tree standing and forming a corner to two fences. On rounding it he found it hollow, and a glance disclosed to him the bodies of two of the children. He started back, and said to his brother, ” Oh, Mike, here they are.” The others were speedily attracted to the spot, and watch kept over the remains till the police, who were sent for, arrived, and took them in charge. The remains too surely evidenced that they had been gnawed by dogs.

Mounted-trooper Phelan had sent from Daylesford, some miles distant, three coffins, and then began the unpleasant but necessary duty of removing the bodies from the hollow tree, which was at least ten feet in diameter. This was done by Constable Daley and Mr. Riddle, and the bodies placed in the coffins were conveyed to the Farmers’ Hotel, Daylesford, where they await the coroner’s inquest.

The father of the boys. Graham, who now lives in Castlemaine, was sent for. The general impression at first was that the scattered remains were those of the boy Burman, and that the two bodies found in the tree were those of the boys Graham, but subsequent conjectures led to the belief that those in the tree were the younger Graham, and Burman aged four and five years. The position of the bodies in the tree and their general appearance would indicate that their spirits passed away peacefully and gently while in sleep. They were lying with their faces towards the inside of the tree, the smaller one furthest in, the larger lying outside him, as if to shelter him, with his right hand under and embracing the other, who lay partly on his body, as if nestling there for warmth.

A correspondent has favoured the Ballarat Post with the following description of the locality where the children were found, and their appearance :—

“The locality where the remains of the children who were lost from Table-hill on Sunday, the 30th June last, were found, in situate about a mile and a half from Wheeler’s sawmills on the Musk Creek. The bodies of the two children which were found in the hollow tree were when discovered in a state of fair preservation, considering the length of time which had elapsed since they were lost; but the remains of the third consisted only of a few bones and the skull. The two bodies in the hollow tree when found were lying closely cuddled together, as if the children had by the warmth afforded by each other endeavoured to ward off the bitter wintry cold. The younger child had been placed inside, and the elder and stronger one had lain down beside him on the outer side. The backs of both were turned to the entrance of the cavity.

Here they must have lain and perished of cold and starvation. The elder boy had his legs completely under the body of the younger, and his cap lay on the floor of the cavity; the younger boy had his cap placed before his face. It is probable that the body of the third boy was also in the tree, but had been dragged thence by dogs. There are marks of hair outside on the roots of the tree. The elder boy had boots on, the younger had none, but a laceup boot broken at the heel, was lying in the interstice of the tree just over his head. In the cavity were two sticks which they had evidently used in their wanderings. When the body of the elder boy was placed in the coffin, as the corpse sank into the narrow shell, his right arm was pushed forward, and his hand fell over upon his breast, and his face became uppermost. This hand was white, plump, and apparently undecomposed, but the whole of his features were gone, and nothing remained but a ghastly skeleton outline, with the lower jaw detached and fallen. The face of the younger child was, however, in a state of preservation, but perfectly black. The members, of both bodies were much attenuated. The position of the tree is at the corner of an old cultivation paddock in which potatoes are now planted. It is melancholy to reflect that these unfortunate children should have reached so near help and succour and failed to find it. Had they proceeded 200 yards farther up the fence, they would have come upon the hut of M’Kay. It would seem they had reached this place at night, and finding their passage impeded by the brush fence, turned into the hollow tree, not wishing to lose sight of it, thinking that the dawn of morning would set them right. Thus they must have lain down to sleep their last sleep”.

The Town Mourns

Daylesford was overwhelmed with grief, over the death of the boys. After 11 weeks of searching, the children were finally laid to rest. On the day of the funeral, the entire town paused. Over 800 people lined the streets as the three boys were buried together, placed as they were found, two nestled together, the eldest protecting them.

This cairn was erected by the Daylesford Historical Society to mark the 100th anniversary of the three children going missing 1867.

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