ISAACS, John (1893-99). From the Brisbane Courier, 6 April 1899:

‘A little boy named John Isaacs, 5½ years of age, son of a blacksmith living at the ‘Eight-hour House,’ Mount Bruce Estate, Coorparoo, was drowned in a waterhole in Nicklin’s paddock, shortly after 4 o’clock yesterday afternoon. No one was aware of the sad occurrence until a brother of the deceased, aged about 7, reached home shortly before 5 o’clock, shouting, ‘Mother, Johnny’s in the waterhole!’ Mrs. Isaacs immediately returned with the little fellow to the scene of the accident, but he was so excited that he could not tell which of two waterholes there his brother had fallen into. The distracted mother asked a few carters to assist in the search, and while doing so a resident of the locality named John Atkins came up, and jumped to the conclusion that the boy’s cap would be floating where he was drowned. This was found to be correct, and Atkins partly stripped and jumped into this waterhole, where, after wading up to the chin, he touched the boy with his feet. He then dived and brought the body to the bank, when it was found to be quite cold. Shortly afterwards the local constable and the father of the little boy appeared on the scene, when the constable carried the body to the home of the parents. It is surmised that the two of the brothers, Tom and John, were playing in the paddock with a black dog, which was their general companion, and that John was throwing sticks in the water for the dog to fetch. It is supposed that the dog, in boisterous play, must have knocked the little fellow into the water.’