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region; a town was built and a railway line ran out to it
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from "the Cross". But in 1911 John was back at Jacoletti, employed on his last known but
unspecified job.
His eldest son, Willie, died in March that year, aged 32. John probably received the news in
April. Willie had been ill for some years with the miners' disease, phthisis (pulmonary TB). Bob
was now the eldest surviving son. Aged 27, he was living in Hughenden, far to the west of
Charters Towers, and working on the railways, like Lawrie. Bob now had five children of his
own - the latest of whom, christened William after his dead uncle, was born in June 1911.
Willie's death seems to have shocked Bob into an awareness of family bonds and mortality. He
wrote to his father in Kalgoorlie, apparently urging John to come home, to Queensland. More
than likely it was he who told John that Willie had died. John's reply was delayed: he had been
ill for three weeks since his 69th birthday in June.
He wrote to Bob on 26 July 1911; he sounds depressed, resigned to the fact that he would
never see his family again.
John wrote: 'My Dear Son. Your last letter reached me all right, but I not having anything
particular to write about I have delayed answering it. I was very glad to hear from you that you
all were well, and very pleased to know you had a Billet away from the mines. I hope you will
keep away from them, for as mining is now they are only Death traps for young men. I am very
thankful to you for your good wishes towards me and your offers towards me. But I have a
great dislike to ever being a burthen to any of my Boys or Girls. You have your own troubles to
contend with, a growing family such as you have you are already Handicapped heavily enough. I
hope to be able to die in harness. Thank goodness the girls are now able to do for themselves
so that now I only have myself to look after. I have had very poor luck for the last 3 years or I
should have returned to Qland and I had a good spell of illness each of the last three winters
with Influenza, I caught it again about tree weeks ago very severely. It takes a long time shake it
off. I had to leave off work and it difficult to get into any permanent employment here now.
However I think I will be alright again in a week or two and think I will be able to get a job
again soon. It was a terrible misfortune for poor Willie family to loose him. I feel awfully sorry
for them. I am very glad that Laurie has got into the Railway department, I hope he will stick
there, no one can more appreciate the blessing of having permanent employment except those
who are looking for it. I am very dissatisfied with my life here, it is very dreary, the fields are
becoming done and employment of all sorts very difficult to obtain. And from all I hear it is no
better in Queensland. I hear very discouraging news from there. Well Dear Boy I can't find any
more to say this time. I hope this will find you all well. With kindest love to you and Wife, love
and kisses to all the little ones from Your Affectionate Father J Honeycombe. PO Kalgoorlie
WA.'
In 1912 John took a room in a lodging-house, Hannan's Chambers, bechind Hannan Street and
near the Palace Hotel.
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r
He was 70 in June that year. A photo of him, possible taken at this time, shows him to have
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