# My Brother



## Kadee (Aug 7, 2019)

My brother passed away at 14 years of age when I was 18 ( in 1964) at the time I was told he’d died from the effects of epilepsy. He was in a boys training school at his time of passing ,a polite way of referring to what was called a reformatory .

He was bought back from Sydney in NSW to where we lived about 800km south of Sydney for burial ,I attended his funeral
about a week after being informed of his death.

Now my only living Aunty on my mothers side of the family told me 3 weeks ago my brother was murdered and didn’t  die from the side effects of epilepsy as we’d been led to believe for all these years , this shocked me to the core apparently my brother who’s name was Ronald face was severely bruised and he’d been raped ( my aunt attended my brothers inquest into his death). I haven’t had allot of contact with my aunt over the years ( only at Christmas ) ,as I left the city where I was born / raised when I was was about 23 

Now I’ve looked online ,phoned different places to get some clarity about my brother but no one has any records on my brother which is understandable in a sense with the passing of years however you’d think the likes of the coroners dept would have kept records, the only advice I was given was to get my parents to apply for the results WHAT !!!!!and they may be able to find them in the archives 

I’m 73 years old I don’t have parents ,the same with a death certificate that may or may not show cause of death my parents are the only ones that can apply for that as well. 

Yesterday I looked up burial records for where he’s buried and you wouldn’t believe it no records ( he’s buried right next to my grandparents ) I phoned the council who manages the cemetery they asked me several times if I’m sure he was buried in Broken Hill ..YES he was the last time I visited his grave three weeks ago , on my journey to Queensland by car 
It’s like my brother never existed, it’s left me shaking my head no records of him anywhere 
And to think all this mystery stated by me asking my Aunty a few family questions after getting my DNA done.


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## Butterfly (Aug 7, 2019)

Do you have a death certificate for him?


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## Kadee (Aug 7, 2019)

@Butterfly No I can’t apply for one, the only person who can apply for a death certificate is a parent or I have to come up with a very good reason why I want it and then it’s $350 because it has be searched for in archives I actually spoke to the BMD yesterday ..they said I could apply online IF I can find my his details but it’s unlikely that my reason is a a good enough one to grant me a certificate ..I looked in family history where they said but found nothing in his name


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## Kris148 (Aug 7, 2019)

Kadee46 said:


> Yesterday I looked up burial records for where he’s buried and you wouldn’t believe it no records ( he’s buried right next to my grandparents )


@Kadee46   You say there are no records.. but you know where he is buried. I am confused. If you know the location of his interment why worry about records? Or are you are thinking of a coverup by authorities at that reform school?


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## Kadee (Aug 7, 2019)

I’d like to know for sure if his death was ruled accidental or someone got away with murdering him ? 
I know where he is buried 
I’ve looked online and phoned the council they have no records on him being in the Broken Hill 
cemetery.


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## Keesha (Aug 7, 2019)

Oh my. 
The plot thickens 
It truly does sound odd


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## Sassycakes (Aug 7, 2019)

That's soo sad to hear. I hope you find a way to get more information.Did your Aunt say if your Mom and Dad knew the truth about his death,and how did she find out.


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## Kris148 (Aug 7, 2019)

Kadee46 said:


> I’d like to know for sure if his death was ruled accidental or someone got away with murdering him ?
> I know where he is buried
> I’ve looked online and phoned the council they have no records on him being in the Broken Hill
> cemetery.


So he is in fact not buried next to your grandparents? This does smell of a coverup Kadee.


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## Kadee (Aug 7, 2019)

Yes @Kris148  I supplied the plot / row number my grandparents are buried in as it’s listed online 
and told them Ronald is buried right next to them he passed away 4 years prior to my GP’s 
they have no records .,it’s all very strange to me as to why ?


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## Kadee (Aug 7, 2019)

Sassycakes said:


> That's soo sad to hear. I hope you find a way to get more information.Did your Aunt say if your Mom and Dad knew the truth about his death,and how did she find out.


Yes @Sassycakes my mother would have known my aunt and my mother attended his inquest 
however they clearly choose not to tell us what happened to my brother , I was very close to the brother in question it’s not as if I was a young child when he died I was 18 
My mother passed away in 1982 
My aunt who’s still living is my mothers youngest sister


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## RadishRose (Aug 7, 2019)

Kadee46 said:


> or I have to come up with a very good reason why I want it


You're his sister! You have the right. What do they consider a "very good reason"?

Don't they have a Freedom of Information act there? I can't imagine what the big deal is.  Certificates up here are $20.00.

I wonder if one was ever issued, or if it was it was lost, but should still be on microfiche. Someone bungled this badly... or was trying to hide something!

Cause of death should be on the death certificate. Are they afraid of the body being exhumed for another analysis? Do you really want to explore this, my friend?

I feel so bad for you Kadee.


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## Judycat (Aug 7, 2019)

Oh my I am sorry this is what you found out. Back in those days families used to make up their own narratives about deaths that were uncomfortable to think about. Same thing happened to me about my maternal grandmother's death. My cousin dug up her death certificate and it turned out what I was told my whole life wasn't true.


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## Kadee (Aug 7, 2019)

They warn you when you get your DNA done there may be a few skeletons in the closet ...how true


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## Judycat (Aug 7, 2019)

Yes that's true.


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## hypochondriac (Aug 7, 2019)

wow. what a story. maybe an investigative journalist would be interested in helping you. sorry to hear about this.


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## Kadee (Aug 7, 2019)

I’ve just been in contact with the council in the area where my brother is buried 
He has been buried under Ray......Last name) ...instead of Ronald so a little of the mystery has been solved as to why he didn’t show up on any records


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## Rosemarie (Aug 7, 2019)

Is it possible that he committed suicide and wasn't buried in a church yard?


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## Linda (Aug 7, 2019)

Kaydee this sounds like a big mess.  I am really surprised a sibling can't get a death certificate.  What a horrible thing to hear about your brother.  I hope you are able to get to the bottom of this without it causing you a ton of heartache.


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## Kadee (Aug 8, 2019)

No not at all  @Rosemarie I’ve  solved the fact I couldn’t find him on the council register online,The lady I spoke to, today and I worked it out by me telling her the number of my grandparents plot she said oh Ray ( name ) 
is buried next to them and the dates matched but first name was incorrect.

See post # 16
there is only one cemetery in Broken Hill,  no church yard burials there at all


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## Keesha (Aug 8, 2019)

Good to learn this is getting resolved Kadee. 
It should bring you some comfort.


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## toffee (Aug 8, 2019)

oh my this seems so bad ' never heard such red tape rubbish in my life -u are nxt of kin you are in titled beyond a doubt '
so sorry to hear the awful news ' do hope it get a little easier in your find kadee .


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## 911 (Aug 8, 2019)

Here in the U.S., death certificates and copies of Coroner’s reports are mainly public record. There are a few states, however, that do have stipulations as to when those documents aren’t made available, as well as who may acquire them.

For example; here in Pennsylvania, those documents are open to the public. I think Nevada, (of all places), limits who may have access and it would be dependent upon the reason why the require the documents, but the majority of states have these documents listed as a matter of public records. 

With your parents being dead, here in the U.S., a sibling would be considered as the “next of kin.” 

I don’t know how Australia laws work, but would it be possible for you to have an attorney draw up a subpoena and present it to the Coroner’s office or the Department of Records to obtain the documents?


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