FAMOUS PEARLER
TOM CLARKE DEAD
The slow tolling of church, bells in Broome marked the passing of Thomas Clarke, aged 69, one of the most famous and picturesque figures in Australia's pearling industry, says the Sydney "Daily Telegraph."
Clarke, with gold rings in his ears and a command of high-power- expletive, was a figure that might have stepped straight from a.tale by Conrad. He was the first white pearler of Broome, and his greatest < claim to fame was that he fished the famous Southern Cross pearl from Shark Bay. The pearl, which sold then for £.10, is now in the possession of the Pope, and is valued at more than £4000. •
in 1921 Clarke fell from a cart and broke a tone in his neck. Since then ho has walked or driven in the streets of Broome- with his grizzled head held slightly askew. Clarke was one of the greatest local authorities on aboriginal customs, and spoke practically all native dialects. His knowledge of the conditions and early history of pearling and the Par North was extensive.
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https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/EP19311113.2.16
Bibliographic details
Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 117, 13 November 1931, Page 3
Word Count
177
FAMOUS PEARLER
Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 117, 13 November 1931, Page 3
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