Books on the History of the Western Australian Goldfields

Hundreds of books have been written on the Western Australian Goldfields. From reference books to fiction and most of all the stories of ordinary people doing extraordinary things in the quest for gold and the search for adventure. There are also many biographies and history books some on the broader subject of the history of the region and others on a specific subject or town. Outback Family History would like to review some of these that you may not have heard of and to tell you where they can be purchased if you would like your own copy. We also have a monthly book giveaway!

What is a t’othersider ????

T’othersiders People from the eastern colonies were referred to as t’othersiders, an instance of the isolation felt by many in Australias ‘Western Third’. It was the influx of t’othersiders to the Goldfields however, which helped Western Australia to catch up in population and improve its financial status. Some of these people would remain to swell […]

The Welsh Newspaper editor and his Australian Gold Mine

The following fascinating article was written by a reader, Alwyn Evans, a keen Welsh historian. It was first published in ‘Wales Online’ The full story is now published as a book, with supporting references and illustrations by Hesperian Press: From Wales to Gwalia A Swansea editor and his Australian goldmine by Alwyn Evans A long […]

A Lost Glitter – book review

A Lost glitter : letters between South Australia and the Western Australian goldfields, 1895-1897 –   edited by Michael R. Best. A Lost Glitter is the most richly detailed first-hand account of goldfields’ life we have. The letters of the Deland family between the Western Australian goldfields and Gawler contrast the rumbustious, economically chancy, life of […]

Men of the Goldfields : by V H Colless

Many of you may be familiar with the excellent publication “Men of Western Australia’ but you may not have heard of the following book ‘Men of the Goldfields’ – It covers the years 1934-1935 – subscribers to the book each received a personalized leather-bound copy with their name engraved in gold on the front cover. […]

Cess, the hermit of Oobagooma:

CESS RODERICK, OOBAGOOMA, KIMBERLEY ‘TIL SHE DROPPED HER STRIDES’ This story is an extract from the book “‘Til She Dropped Her Strides” by Roger Garwood and Trish Ainslie published in 1991. The book was one of a series which documented the traditional lifestyles in the Australian outback which were under threat from an increasingly modernised […]