Off to the Boer War:-

Goldfields Men in the Boar War:- “The West Australian 6 Apr 1901′    http://bit.ly/2BpLT19 THE SIXTH CONTINGENT  –  AT KARRAKATTA CAMP. At last the members of the Sixth Contingent have been supplied with uniforms. On Thursday evening these were delivered, and yesterday each man was handed his khaki-coloured clothes. The men were paraded in their uniforms […]

Andrew (Andy) Campbell – people profile

His life as a gold miner and union leader on the goldfields of Western Australia 1860 to 1930 Following is an abstract from a book titled: A Challenging Life – The Life of Andrew (‘Andy’) Campbell J.P. (1860-1930), written in 2017 by his grandson, Ian Campbell, and available online at the following link – Andrew […]

A Token of Esteem – John J Victor

  Presented to J J Victor Esq (Pictured centre) Secretary As a token of esteem by the members of the Boulder Amateur Swimming Club. 1911 Presented to J J Victor Esq (Pictured centre) Secretary J (John George) Cosson President T Carberry Captain and Instructor T Jenkins Judge G Stevenson – Starter A Shea – Prop […]

Swearin ‘n’ Spittin – by Arthur Dunstan

Swearin ‘n’ Spittin – Kalgoorlie Goldminers were a great bunch of blokes. Their work was hard and dangerous and most of them spent their leisure time in one of the 37 pubs. They drank beer as if it was their last day on earth. Sometimes unfortunately it was. Besides living from day to day, the […]

Death of a Bushman – a family story

I was recently sent this most poignant story from OFH reader Ray Jackson. Although it occurred in Queensland, there are many incidences like this in Western Australia. It tells a tragic family story:- Life was very hard in the Charleville area of Queensland in the late 1800s and work was very hard to get. Two […]