The ‘Dolly Pot’ column, which was started in the Western Mail newspaper between 1936 and 1942, was initiated by Cyril Longmore and later taken over by Malcolm Uren. The column started out to collect the reminiscences of the pioneer prospectors and was remarkably successful and popular. Dolly Pot remains the most significant source of information on the Westralian goldfields pioneers. It is the voice of the men who made the country.
They wrote of sadness, of gladness, of humour, and hardship in a way that only experience can.
Western Mail Perth 9 September 1937, page 13
OVER THE PLATES.
The Roaring Gimblet.
Just a chapter or two out of my own life story on the goldfields in 1894, when everything was new! by Su Hug, at Bardoc.
In June, or July, ’94, my mate, Cumbrae-Stewart (Charles Robert Ogilvie), myself, and two others went from Coolgardie to what today is known as Goongarrie, but then was known as the 90-Mile, or the Roaring Gimblet, to man some leases for a Groper syndicate, Alex Forrest, Neil McNeil, and W Marmion being members of it. We went by spring cart, pulled by a couple of horses. When we arrived at the 90 Mile, we found it a busy little centre, with various business places, trading being carried on in big tents or hessian shacks. They included a chemist, baker, butcher, chaff merchant, tinsmith and several stores, not forgetting the usual and most important hop-beer bar.
One of the stores was a branch of a Coolgardie firm, Askin and Nicholson. Nicholson had two brothers, Bob and Hope, who in later years were mine managers on the Golden Mile. The manager for this firm in the 90’s was Harry Gregory, who later became Mayor of Menzies and the first M.L.A. for the district. Harry had to put up some big election fights to hold the seat but always won by a nose. Once he was counted out, but won on an appeal. For close to ten years he was Minister for Mines. He is stilldoing his bit as one of our representatives in Canberra.
Askin & Nicholson was the local Post Office and general store in the Old Goongarrie townsite in 1895 – Coolgardie Pioneer 5 Feb 1896
I was but a mere youth when in 1890 I was standing outside Harry’s store looking at a bag of sprouting onions. He must have been eyeing me off, for he came forward and said, “Eat plenty of onion sprouts, and you will never get the fever, lad.” At no time did I fancy onion sprouts, and I did not take his advice, and so far I have dodged eating them, and dodged the fever, too. It’s a long time since I was offered the above advice, but every time I see sprouting onions, I somehow associate Harry with them.
Unusually, there was no hotel there in those days. Later two sprang up, the first licensee being Arthur Williams, the first man to be married in Coolgardie. He ran the hotel with his wife Clara nee Saunders. Our little party soon got to work on the leases. They were close to a big, dry salt lake, which is not far from the townsite and close to a big blow, still called Mullagong Blow. The syndicate did not keep us employed for many months, and we never saw a single colour of gold on the job.
Tinnion & Myhill – 90 Mile Store – Image TROVE
My mate and the boss went back to Coolgardie per buckboard mail coach. We followed on per team. On our return journey, when we reached Canegrass Swamp (12 miles), we saw someone had erected a condensing plant on the edge of the swamp (which was then dry). As we were passing, a man approached us and said:
“Any of you fellows want a job?” I was the only willing one,
as I was anxious to make a cheque and go home east. I did not reckon what I was falling into. My new boss was a big German, named Troutman (Adolph Peter Trautman). I had to do a 12-hour shift, 12 midnight to 12 noon. For months after I finished with the job I could hear the midnight call of the boss, “Tim, it’s twelve o’clock.”
