George Astley and Jessie Cooper
from Carol Townsend (Great Granddaughter).
George Astley COOPER was born in 1865 at Duck Ponds, Victoria. In 1890 to Benjamin Edward and Sophia Elizabeth. He married Jessie HASTHORPE in Warragul, Victoria. Jessie was born in 1868 in Collingwood Victoria, the daughter of Jessie and Esther nee VARNEY.
Kalgoorlie Western Argus 28 July 1903 – Mr Cooper’s Dairy Farm Vosperton.
George and Jessie Cooper arrived in Western Australia in 1893. Jessie was the second non-indigenous woman in Coolgardie when the only water that they had was condensed water except when it rained. George had an eight-horse team which he used to cart stores ahead of the railway line. When the railway line went to Kellerberrin, he’d cart stores from Kellerberrin to Merredin and then when the railway line went to Merredin, he moved Jessie and two or three kids to Merredin and he’d cart stores from Merredin to Southern Cross and that’s the way he made his money and he did that right through to Kalgoorlie and to a little town twelve miles the other side, Kanowna.
The Pioneer Store – George Coopers Store, Gindalbie ,1895 -Photo SLWA
Then one of Jessie’s brothers came over from Victoria and he and George found a gold set up twenty-five miles from Kanowna which they called Hayes New Find because the man that found it was named Hayes. They changed its name three years later to Vosperton after a local miner and journalist, Frederick Vosper. Then when the mines closed down George renamed Vosperton Gindalbie, and he took up the pastoral lease and that’s how he started there. George and Jessie set up the store, the butchers’ shop, the bakery and the hotel and that’s where they made their money. George always used to say
“this is the gold rush, don’t worry about the gold, go put up a pub and a store”.
Nine of the ten Cooper children. Photo taken before the birth of Walter – Photo Carol Townsend
George and Jessie had 10 children:
Sophia Edith Maud Born Victoria 1891
Esther Gertrude Georgina Born Northam 1893
Emily Alexandra Victoria Born Victoria 1896
Jessie Francis Dorothy Born Leederville WA 1898
Arthur Alexander Born Kanowna WA 1899
Vera May Born Perth WA 1901
Ivy Alma Born Perth WA 1903
George Astley Jnr. Born Gindalbie 1905
John Robert Born Kanowna WA 1907
Walter Milton Harvey Born Kalgoorlie WA 1915
Kalgoorlie Miner 20 November 1934, page 2
Jessie later in life with her daughter Jessie – Photo Carol Townsend
THE LATE MR. GEORGE COOPER – AN APPRECIATION
George Astley Cooper, to give him his right title, and his address, anywhere from Esperance to the well out-back was the man who left us only a few days ago. He was after all only one among the many to do what was asked of them, and much more. His name was good enough to rally round him a number of stalwart friends. George had numerous occupations. He tried teamstering from Esperance to Coolgardie; met with misfortune; went into contracting and storekeeping; finally settling down at Vosperton as a publican; also running a milk round and a butcher’s and grocer’s shop.
Many and various were his occupations, and George was equal to them all. The name of Vosperton was changed to Gindalbie. There was a good gold mine within a mile of the settlement. It eventually petered out but may yet come into prominence again. George then turned his attention to station properties and was one of the first to grapple in a big way with the possibilities of sheep and cattle. He was the owner of the celebrated sire, Lord Cureton.
There are many good yarns told of our old friend G. A. Cooper. In the early days Randolph Beech; (since dead) was a press correspondent at Kanowna, and always eager for news. George Cooper duly arrived and was interviewed by Randolph, and in an airy way said there was a flock of wild turkeys about 15 miles back being slowly driven in as their feet were sore. This important item of news was wired to Randolph’s paper and duly appeared in the news columns. George was a well known character and had an unruly mob to deal with in the pub. Sometimes he had to eject one or two and he always said with a twinkle in his eye that he could last more than two minutes and his opponents could not last that long, so George won. George Cooper was a good friend as many can testify. His word was his bond. Like many many others I mourn him and his like.
George Astley Cooper died in 1934 and is buried in the Kalgoorlie Cemetery. Jessie survived him by 31 years, and died in Nedlands near Perth in 1965, aged 97 yrs, she is buried in the Karrakatta Cemetery, Perth – Photos of George’s Grave – Find a Grave
References:
Information taken from an interview with Wally Cooper in the Joondalup Local Library History Collection.
Photo of Cooper children courtesy of Ancestory.com
George Cooper’s obituary courtesy of Trove.
Moya Sharp
Latest posts by Moya Sharp (see all)
- Lydia & Edgar Barclay – pioneer family - 29/06/2024
- Go West and Find Your Mate – - 29/06/2024
- Coote and Maley – Brewers of Lawlers - 29/06/2024
Wow some history here for my mother’s Parents and Grand Parents, I had heard the stories sitting in front of the lounge room fire many times. Thank you so much for the verification it’s a shame my Mother Jessica Francis Cooper wasn’t alive to see this she would have been stoked.