Lost Locations
Boraming, Muralling, Cooalwanga
This story begins with John Okey Davis, Neville Cockcroft’s G.G.G. Grandfather who migrated to the
Swan River Colony from Chenies, Buckinghamshire, arriving with his wife Frances and six children on
the “Lotus” on the 23rd of October 1829. After Captain Fremantle on the “Challenger”, this was the
8th ship of 15 to arrive in 1829 following the Parmelia, Sulphur (Barron Family), Calista, Saint
Leonard, Thompson, Marquis of Anglesea and Amity.
John claimed land on the Canning River in what is now Gosnells and the location is now John Okey
Park. It is said that the early colonists lived in starvation conditions but John at first grew wheat and
vegetables and later planted citrus and almond trees. John died on the 5th of March 1836 and he
and his wife, Frances are buried on the farm, now John Okey Davis Park. The gravesite is heritage
listed. After his death, his son, John Okey Davis Jr ran the farm until he moved to Fremantle. He
sold it to John Gosnell in 1862.
John Jr married Eleanor Frances Thomson in 1840 in Fremantle and they had ten children. A
remarkable thing is that he numbered some of his children, Horatio “Septimus” Davis being the
seventh. Others were Henry “Quartus”, Gertrude Caroline “Octavia”, Maude “Nov” and Frank
“Decimus”. All the children were born in Fremantle except for Frank who was born in Middle Swan
indicating a family move. John Jr died there in 1894 and is buried at Guildford.
Horatio Septimus Davis born in 1852 married Harriet Eliza Backshall at Williams Bridge in 1883 and
they had three daughters, Sybella Maude who was born at “Boroming” in 1886, Eleanor Mary, born
in 1889 at Arthur River and Alice Rose. I cannot find a birth place for Alice but assume it was either
Arthur River or Perth as her mother’s death is recorded in Perth in the same month. It is interesting
that Harriet is the cousin of Maria Elizabeth (Backshall) Rhodes, both born in the Dongara region
who with her husband Thomas, farmed “Rhodesdale” from 1906 to 1918. Perhaps they heard about
the Darkan region from the Davis family before they arrived but Rhodesdale is another story.
Boroming is the first of our lost locations. I am guessing that the internet records it only once for
the birth of Sybella Maude that it is most likely “Boraning” or a farm name and possibly in the
Williams region.
Muralling is the second, being listed in the 1909 Government Gazette. Horatio is listed in the
electoral rolls from 1903 to 1925 as Arthur River so if anybody knows the current name of the farm it
would be appreciated if you can let me know. I believe it may have been north of the Arthur River.
Cooalwanga is a name that turned up in some research and may be a red herring but I am reluctant
to delete the information. Please let me know if it rings a bell?
Sybella Maude Davis had a daughter Sybella Maude Davis to George Edmund Finemore in 1906, and
they later married in 1908. They had another daughter, Vera Eileen Rose in 1909. Unfortunately,
Sybella Senior died in a house fire at Chorkerup and the details are not clear but George and Vera
turned up later in Victoria and young Sybella Maude was in the care of her Grandfather and Aunt
Alice and grew up to marry John Julian Cockroft in 1927 and then Clarence William King in 1946.
Any help to find these lost locations would be welcomed
alan@alanblencowe.com
http://www.alanblencowe.com/Alanvale/WestArthurHeritage.html