Grave Tales – Tingalpa Christ Church

The Tingalpa Christ Church and cemetery is a little piece of history remaining in Brisbane, now surrounded by industry and traffic. The sound of pressurised gas and the smell of fried potatoes waft from the Smiths Factory next door and the rumble of trucks and cars travelling the six lanes of Wynnum Road is ever present.

Within the grounds are the graves of many pioneers of Brisbane’s eastern suburbs. There are single graves and family plots. Towards the back corner is a plot surrounded by an ornate iron fence. The memorial is a tall spire of sandstone. The front facing panel acknowledges the death of Mary, beloved wife of Thomas Daw, died 1 Nov 1892, aged 47 years. Also 9 of their children.

There are no names of children on the memorial so it is easy to walk past this plot without realising the extent of family tragedy enclosed within. The situation becomes more apparent when research reveals all nine of the children were in infancy when they died.

Thomas Daw and Mary Daw nee Ellis were from Devon, England. In 1871 they are living close by in Paignton. Mary is a domestic servant and Thomas an agricultural labourer. They marry on 28 July 1872, Mary is four years older than Thomas. A few months later the newlyweds board the Royal Dane, bound for Moreton Bay.

Thomas Daw gains employment with the Robinson family at Tingalpa then owns his own butchery business on Gympie Road at Lutwyche and later is elected as a councillor of Windsor Shire.

Their first son Robert James Daw is born on 17 July 1873, six months after their arrival. He is the only child of ten to survive into adulthood. Without each death certificate on hand, the cause of the deaths of the children is not known but one online post records two of the children dying from gastro-enteritis.

The children are Mary Elizabeth 1875, two months, Florence Eleanor 1876, two months, William Henry 1877, one month, Albert Edward 1878, four months, Alice Ann 1881, three months, Thomas George 1883, eleven months, Frederick Ernest 1885, five months, Ethel Maud, 1887, one month, Elspeth Rose, 1889, one month.

On Sunday 30 October 1892 Mary Daw attends church at St Andrews Lutwyche but shortly after returning home is struck with severe abdominal pain. Despite help from three doctors she dies in the early hours of Tuesday morning. The funeral takes place in Tingalpa, attended by many of all classes. Mary is laid to rest with her nine children.

Thomas Daw marries Emily Perry ten months later. They have two daughters who live long lives. Thomas dies on 28 June 1914. He is buried with his first wife and chidren at Tingalpa.