Dunnsville’s Postmistress – they were first

EARLY GOLDFIELDS DAYS.

Mrs. Arthur Dusantoy was the first woman in Dunnsville, and kept the first Post Office at that place, a rude structure, but typical of the buildings of the early goldfields days of Western Australia. Mrs. Dusantoy’s experiences may be best told in her own words:

“I was the first woman in Dunnsville”

I went out from Coolgardie with Climie and Eastwood’s team in 1893 and was there when Paddy Bahar and party came down, (I think), from Kurnalpi after finding a 200oz nugget. They came to Dunnsville and struck a good alluvial claim, and after a time they sold out for 5ozs of gold. Í think it was a man named Gregory who bought it, and afterward, he sold out for 2ozs of gold. The name of the first manager of the Wealth of Nations claim was Captain Nicholls and the second manager was Mr. Barney, an American. I kept the first Post Office opened by the Government in Dunnsville, and the first mailman was Mr. R T Hore. The first mailbag the mailman brought, contained only one letter. The camels shown in the above photograph belonged to the owners of the Wealth of Nations claim.”

The first payment was made to the Dunnsville post office on 1 Sep 1895 for the sum of £52 per annum.

Katherine Dusantoy & Arthur Dusantoy.

DUNNSVILLE  Latitude 30° 38′ S Longitude 120° 52′ E

An abandoned goldfields townsite 83kms northeast of Kalgoorlie, Dunnsville was declared a townsite in 1897. It is named after John Dunne, a prospector who discovered gold in this vicinity in August 1894. Dunne’s lease later became the famous Wealth of Nations Gold Mine.

Dunnsville Townsite map

I have tried without much luck to see what became of Arthur and Katherine. I did find the following article which may be about Katherine. The age would probably be correct if she was in her mid 50’s when she went to Dunnsville. If so, it’s a sad story, I cannot find a death registration for her. If anyone knows more details do let me know so I can add them to her story.

The Truth – 17 Nov 1923 – No money, nowhere to go, and nowhere to sleep was the unenviable plight of Catherine Dusantoy, white-haired and 85yrs old. Evidence was given to Mr. H. Hocking, J.P. on the Perth Police Court that Catherine was found wandering in Pier street asking for the price of a bed. It was stated that she was ‘a perfect nuisance’ and would not stay in the old folk’s homes. Only the Fremantle Home would have anything to do with her. So the Bench made an order for her to be detained at that home. Katherine tottered out of the dock not visibly gratified.

The following narrative was sent to me by Jane Wesson:

What became of Arthur and Catherine Dusantoy after they were no longer keeping the
Post Office at Dunnsville, December 1895?

Arthur and Catherine Dusantoy were adventurous souls, judged by their willingness to move around and try out new ventures in new places, even as they advanced in years.

From Catherine’s statements quoted in the 1908 newspaper article, the Dusantoys had come to the goldfields through Albany. In 1895 Arthur was aged 66 and Catherine aged 56 when they had the store at Dunnsville and took on official postal duties. Arthur applied for a Wayside House liquor licence in late 1895. However, his application appears to have been unsuccessful and it seems the couple returned to Albany. From February 1896 to late 1897 Arthur Dusantoy carried out a brickmaking business in Albany. However, by late 1897 the couple had moved to Dundas (in the Norseman district). In May 1898, after the Dundas post office closed, the Dusantoys were briefly involved in postal duties again, as any letters for Dundas were left with Mr. S [probably an error for A] Dusantoy.

Arthur Dusantoy was successful in obtaining a liquor licence in Dundas in 1899 and 1900, for premises known as the Dundas Hotel. However, in May 1900 the licence was transferred and the Dusantoys left Albany by the B.M.S Cuzco for London. In March 1901 they were visiting friends in Sussex. In February 1902, the couple departed London for Melbourne. Arthur was described as a farmer. It is not clear where they were between 1902 and 1905, (possibly NSW or NZ) but in May 1905 they left Fremantle on the Ophir bound, once again, for London. Arthur, (misrecorded as Alfred), is once again described as a farmer. They were not in England long, returning on the same boat from there in September 1905.

On returning to WA the couple set up a house in Wagin, where Arthur died on 11 October 1906. He is buried in the Wagin Cemetery. His death is indexed as ‘Dunsantoy’ and his burial as 1908. Following his death, Catherine sold up but didn’t seem able to settle. She travelled around WA, visiting Albany and Hopetoun in 1907. It was at this time that the article about her life at Dunnsville was published. She lived briefly in Denmark around 1909. In 1911 Catherine made another trip to England, on the Miltiades, returning three months later on the Marathon.

In September 1917, Catherine was living in Perth, where it was reported that she had some valuables stolen by a Boulder resident. In July 1921, another newspaper article about the first Dunnsville post office was published, including a different photograph of Catherine. This suggests that she was involved in providing material for that article. Both articles claim that she was the first postmistress but official sources actually list her husband, Arthur Dusantoy, as the official employee. In November 1923, the article previously alluded to describes Catherine as homeless and broke in Perth and given into the care of the Fremantle Old Women’s Home. It seems that she lived the last few years of her life there, as she died in Fremantle on 28 November 1925. She is buried in a government (pauper’s) grave in Fremantle Cemetery. Her death is indexed as ‘Desauntoi’ and burial as ‘Desauntsi’.

Brief back story: Arthur was born 6 Mar 1829 in Whitchurch, Hampshire. Became a baker. Married Mary Ann Taylor 1849, Berkshire and emigrated to Victoria 1852-1853. Became a gold miner and shareholder and lived in Creswick to about 1882. Separated, moved to NSW. Married Catherine 1883 in NSW and lived in various remote towns as storekeeper, publican, and farmer until the early 1890s, when they moved to WA. Catherine was born about 1839 in Glasgow, Scotland. Early life is currently unknown.

Arthur Dusantoy;’s Grave – Wagin Cemetery