Trove Tuesday: Linesman Disappears

Searching through Trove looking for something to blog about for Trove Tuesday and I came across the following article that was printed in the Victorian newspaper The Argus on Tuesday 4 March 1930.

The article details two separate tragedies that occurred in the Murray River, both within the State of Victoria in Australia. Both accidents, although occurring approximately 290 kilometres apart in the regional towns of Swan Hill and Yarrawonga, occurred on the same day and resulted in the deaths of three individuals.

DROWNED IN THE MURRAY. (1930, March 4). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), p. 7.
Retrieved November 3, 2015, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article4072499

The second accident mentions the drowning of a Reginald G. Auld in Yarrawonga. An extract of the incident is as follows:

LINESMAN DISAPPEARS.
Told Companions He Was All Right.
YARRAWONGA, Monday. - Mr. Reginald G. Auld, aged 30 years, telephone linesman, of Lewisham road, East Prahran, was drowned in the River Murray yesterday. Auld, who was a good swimmer, went with Messrs. C. J. Howard, H. W. Daly, V. Davis, and F. G. Bohin, from Tungamah to Bourke's Bend. After the party had been swimming for about an hour it was noticed that Auld appeared to be in difficulties. The other men swam out to him, but he said that he was quite all right. Later, seeing Auld still in difficulties, they swain back, but before they reached him he sank. The body was recovered this morning.

Having not come across the name of Reginald G. AULD before during my Auld research, a quick search of the Victorian BDM indexes reveal his full name to be Reginald George AULD. Reginald was the son of George AULD and Ellen Jane DONOGHUE. Only thirty years of age at the time of his death at Yarrawonga, he was born circa 1900 in Euroa, Victoria. Preliminary research also reveals that Reginald was one of nine children born to George and Ellen - his other siblings were:

• Sidney David AULD (b.1888 - d.1942) - name also listed as Sydney
• George AULD (b.1890 - d.1959)
• Amy Mabel WADSWORTH nee AULD (b.1893 - d.1977)
• Ada Ellen OBRYAN nee AULD (b.1895 - d.1969)
• James Albert AULD (b.1897 - d.1971)
• Ormond John AULD (b.1900 - d.1947)
• Mary Estrella AULD (b.1901 - d.1973)
• Jessie Doris AULD (b.1906 - d.1973)

Interestingly, based on the consecutive index numbers listed, it would appear that Reginald George AULD may have been the younger twin of Ormond John AULD. Although only a supposition at this stage, further research would need to be carried out in order to verify ... maybe Trove holds the answer to this question.