The last two prisoners to die on the Island were Nardorook (207) from pneumonia in July 1898 and William @ Billy Shaw (7096) from lung disease in June 1906. Nardorook was one of eight arrested at the remote Denham River the previous year for unlawful possession of meat and was sentenced to two years hard labour and ‘15 strokes of the cat’ at Wyndham. Within two days he and three others absconded from a prison working party only to be recaptured the following day and sentenced to an additional three months and ten lashings. A fortnight later the four were transferred to Wadjemup.
Billy, on the other hand was from the South of the State, having been born in Newcastle (Toodyay). A labourer by trade, he was sentenced to three months imprisonment at Wadjemup for ‘supplying liquor to Aborigines’. Ten days after arriving Billy passed away and was returned to the mainland where he was buried at Fremantle Cemetery. He was 52 years old.
Unlike the previous century his was the only death on the Island after 1900 even though life-threating epidemics occurred. Fewer prisoners, less cramped conditions, improved understandings and a weekly visit by a medical officer may have individually or collectively accounted for this. In almost all instances, the more serious cases were transferred to Fremantle Gaol Hospital and returned to the Island on recovering. There were two exceptions, Norman Gydgup (13685) who passed away in 1906 and Kaldoring alias Jackey (8216) who died the day he was due to be released in 1910. Both we buried in the Fremantle cemetery.
