Billy Frost – the seeker of shadows

Western Mail Perth – 16 September 1926, page 19 THE SEEKER – THE LATE BILLY FROST Prospector and Explorer By John Meiklejohn. Round the campfires of the various diggings during the 1890s, no name was more prominent than that of the late Billy Frost. He never had the fortune to make any sensational gold discovery, […]

The Man Who Cheated The Hangman

Leonard Charles Jackson was to be the first man executed in the Fremantle Gaol for murder in 15 years since the execution of the infamous Snowy Rowles in 1932. I was recently contacted by Kevin Matthees who is Leonard’s Great Grandson. He has kindly given me permission to share the story as Leonard was from […]

The Norseman Hotels –

Coolgardie Miner – 12 July 1935, page 10 The New Norseman Hotel  The new Norseman Hotel, which has just been completed by Mr Jesse K. Moore, was designed by Cavanagh & Cavauagh, architects, Perth, and has been built to the specifications approved by the Licencing Board, was opened on June 17. The building consists of […]

The Philippe family – grave tales

Four adult members of the Philippe family are buried in this one grave in the Kalgoorlie Cemetery. They are Richard Henry Philippe  bur 12 Oct 1906 age 67 Eliza Mary nee Howells bur 21 Nov 1911 aged 73 (Richard’s wife) Bertrand Charles Philippe bur 19 Jun 1950 age 71 (son of Richard and Eliza) Violet […]

Norman Dodd – Death by Despair

The following story was supplied by Gail and Keith Dodd and is produced here with their kind permission. The subject of the story is Norman W G Dodd who is Keith’s Great Uncle. It shows that it is possible to have the unrecognised grave of a victim of war finally honoured. Many more soldiers died […]