The people of the Goldfields

The Goldfields of Western Australia was and still is made up of many people, from poets to politicians, from saints and sinners and everything in between. I hope to tell you the stories of some of these people either famous or infamous or just the ordinary folks. Sometime the most ordinary people do the most extraordinry things

The Church of St Luke -people and places

The Church of St Luke (Anglican)  – Trafalgar by Fr Edward Doncaster Trafalgar townsite was gazetted in 1899 and is mentioned in the Boulder service register in 1902 and evening services were commenced in May 1903 by lay reader Mr A E Nadebaum. A building committee of messrs Ginbey and Monkhouse formed in early 1904, […]

Hasty’s Grave – mans best friend

Hasty’s Grave This grateful country cherishes the fine courageous band Who pioneered the wilderness, and founded our great land And so it is appropriate that the name of one so brave Be printed on our outback maps, marked simply ‘Hasty’s Grave’ And for those who wished to go there, and find the grave, perhaps Longitude […]

Michael Brennan – grave tales

Michael Joseph Brennan    12th June 1875 – 30th March 1900 a family history by Cheryl Benson:-  gbenson@iinet.net.au Michael Joseph Brennan was the son of Patrick Brennan and Mary Dougherty born the 12th June 1875 Reefton, Buller, New Zealand. He was christened on the 20th June 1875 with sponsors Mr. M. Byrne and Mrs. Potts. […]

A Gallant Young Hero

Sunday Times – Perth – 5 April 1914, page 7 The Knickerbocker Hero The Little Lennonville Hero were some of the words used to describe Vincent Atkinson, a young boy of just ten years of age, who was to inspire West Australians with his presence of mind and his ‘heart of a lion’ after he […]

John Reside – grave tales

Westralian Worker (Perth, WA : 1900 – 1951), Friday 3 October 1902, page 2  JOHN RESIDE.   –    The sudden death of John Reside, M.L.A. for Hannans, which took place at Kalgoorlie last Sunday evening, came as an absolute shock to the whole community. The cause of death was heart affection. Mr Reside was […]