Alexander and Daniel McKenzie

Alexander (Sandy) and Daniel (Daney) McKenzie were sons of Alexander McKenzie Jnr and Ann MacLean, and whose whereabouts on the Otago Goldfields of New Zealand had been lost after 1864.

Alexander McKenzie Jnr, b. 1803 in 1803-1805? Isle of Skye?, d. 17-09-1891 in of dropsy suffered for 5 months at Belmore, Canowindra, buried 29-09-1891 in Presbyterian Cem, Cowra.  Belmore is now called Moorbel/Morbell.  He married (1) Ann MacLean, 31-12-1829 in Armadale?,Sleat, Isle of Skye, Cty Inverness, b. ??-??-1808 in of Calligarr y,Isle of  Skye d. ??-06-1846 in Berkeley, buried 30-06-1846 in Parish of Wollongong.  Ann: Annie or born Caligarry, Sleat, Isle of Skye. Note Ann’s NSW BDM entry is under Ann Mc Kinzie.

Four children were born on the Isle of Skye, and accompanied them on the William Nicol to Australia. Daniel/Donald (Daney), Donald, Alexander (Sandy) and John.

Four more children were born to Alexander and Ann in Australia – Mary Ann, Catherine, as well as twins Angus and Agnus (note – no additional yet details located after Agnus’ 1844 baptism).

Following their mother Ann’s death in 1846, their father remarried to Elizabeth Hanks, and another 10 children were born. Nine of these children survived to adulthood – Elizabeth, Robert, Hugh, Thomas, Anne, Flora, Charles, Archibald & Christina.

Ted Finn was unable to locate a great deal of information on Daniel and Alexander – but only that they were last heard of at Serpentine Creek, Otago and Arrawt River, New Zealand in 1863 and 1864. Ted Finn wrote of some anecdotal stories of how Daniel and Alexander were said to have gone to New Zealand travelling around mining for gold, when they both disappeared and were never heard from again. Around that time a man was arrested, convicted and hung for the murder of itinerant gold miners – but the exact number of people he murdered was never known. There are various stories referring to murders on the New Zealand goldfields – 1, 2, 3 – possibly not all victims were identified ? See also articles about the Otago Gold Rush – 1, 2, . Also further checking indicates that currently there is no Arrawt River in New Zealand, though the Arrow River near Otago has been associated with gold mining – 1, 2, 3, – so perhaps it was the Arrow River ?

Richard Burgess may be the most prolific murderer New Zealand has ever seen. It’s estimated the death toll his gang of outlaws inflicted while roving the goldfields of the South Island in the 1860s ranged anywhere up to 35 people

“In 1862, Burgess headed to the Otago goldfields where he joined forces with various Australian colleagues to prey upon the miners there. Many were former cellmates including his right-hand man Thomas Kelly (alias Noon)… That same year he and Kelly had a shootout with police and were sent down for another three years. Burgess claimed the charges were false and vowed to take revenge on society when he was released… Burgess and Kelly were released in 1865 made their way to Hokitika. The local police had insufficient resources to place them under surveillance, so the pair, with others, resumed a roving life of crime on the West Coast goldfields. In the gangs which formed for specific ‘jobs’, Burgess was always the leader.”

The Burgess Gang – Exactly how many people the gang killed is unknown. Wayne Martin estimates there were upwards of 20 victims, which he says would make Burgess “New Zealand’s worst serial killer”.

See also – Maungatapu murders, 1866 – Burgess Gang

Murder of George Dobson, Surveyor, by the Burgess Gang in 1866.

In the 1860’s, it was mainly Australians who came to the Otago goldfields. They were said to have been at Serpentine Creek, Otago and Arawt River (Arrow River?). References to these Goldfields – 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9,

Further, Bill Martin extracted “NEW ZEALAND DISASTERS AND TRAGEDIES – OTAGO MINERS INQUESTS FROM THE OTAGO POLICE GAZETTES” – 1862-1867 , 1868 – 1872, 1873 – 1875, 1876 – perusing these sites – it seemed that most deaths were not by murder however – and other sources indicate there were significant natural disasters in the winter months of 1863, where over 50 people died – 1,  2, 3, 4,

Central Otago – Between the merciless climate, rugged terrain and treacherous work, the goldfields proved fatal all too often. Local cemeteries bear witness to such fates as drowning, rockfall, hypothermia, disease, malnutrition and even murder.

Otago miners did perish almost daily in August of 1863. Deaths that were confirmed include at least 40 fatalities from drownings, burials, landslides and exposure. Two days before the Serpentine accident, a man froze trying to get to Deep Creek. At the Tomahawk diggings, a miner suffocated in his snow-covered tent. Twelve men were killed in Skippers Canyon when a landslide buried their huts as they slept. John Dounoughoe, aged 32, died on the summit of the Crown Range.

Click on map below to go to see more at the source.

It should also be noted that the prospecting for alluvial gold at Otago had mostly ceased by 1864, and so that phase of the Otago gold rush ended in 1864, as many miners moved on. Another possibility, had Alexander and Daniel also moved on around 1864? Some moved over to the West Coast goldfields, joining many from overseas – the gold rush lasted from 1864  to 1867 – 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6,

Click on map below to go to see more at the source.

Meanwhile in Cowra in the 1890’s … 

In 1892, probate searches were underway for 4 of the children of Alexander McKenzie Jnr, including Alexander and Daniel. Ted Finn referred to this search in some of his correspondence, and with Trove’s digitisation program the Probate advertisements have again been located: