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- The Bendigo Independent, Victoria, Australia, Tuesday, 19 March 1901
Another Fire at Golden Square
About 8 o?clock last night a fire completely destroyed a six-roomed weatherboard house, together with the whole of its furniture, at Bullock Creek road, Golden Square, near the Great Britain mine. The building, which had a dado lining, with canvas and paper throughout, was the home and property of Mrs. Louisa Bassett, and there lived with her her three sons and a daughter. Last evening the daughter, a young woman, was suffering with a face ache, and to get some ?pain-killer? she took a lighted candle from the kitchen into a bedroom, about the centre of the house. She put the candle on a washstand underneath an open window. Finding the ?pain killer,? she next searched in the drawer of a dressing table for some wadding. Being unable to find any she went back again to the kitchen, leaving the candle still on the washstand. She put some ?pain killer? on her face. Returning for the candle, she discovered the room a mass of flames. She raised an alarm, and she and her mother were too overcome with shock to do anything beyond making a hasty exit from the building. The building was old, there was a strong breeze blowing, and it burnt like kindling wood. The flames quickly burst through the roof, and word was telephoned to the Golden Square Brigade by the watchman on the Bendigo look-out tower. The Kangaroo Flat Brigade also were apprised of the fire, and both brigades were quick in getting to the place. Two jets of water were played upon the now ruined building and on a stable and buggy shed at the rear. In the shed were a buggy, a dog cart and three bicycles, but they were all removed before the fire reached them. The fire, no doubt, was caused through the wind blowing the window curtain against the lighted candle. Included in the furniture, which as said before, was all destroyed, was a new piano valued at £60. The house and stable were insured for £60, and the furniture for £150 in the Commercial Union Company. The insurance, however, will not cover the loss. A still more unlucky feature of the fire wat that £25 in bank notes were also burnt with the house. Mrs. Bassett yesterday gave on one of her sons that amount to buy some mining scrip, and he had it locked in a box in his room. he was away attending a class at the School of Mines at the time of the fire.
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Bassett Family Association Database
d. Abt 1884, Sandhurst, Victoria, Australia