Isidore James Knight COHEN JP, (he later changed the name to COHN), was born in Melbourne in 1843, the son of Victor Cohen (Born 1813 on the Isle of Thanet in Kent England) and Annie Henrietta MAGNUS. From his early boyhood had been associated with gold mining. If there was ever a calling conducive to adventure, it is that of the seeker of this precious metal.
I J K Cohn
Tiring of a city life and yearning to get to the goldfields, he left for Castlemaine VIC at the early age of thirteen years. The little lad was fortunate enough to get in with a party of men who agreed to give him a third share in their findings. This infantile gold quest was not very successful, for we find him eighteen months afterwards on the road to Melbourne, carrying his swag.
Three years later he proceeded to Bendigo, having in 1861 married, his young wife accompanying him. He had only a few pence in his pocket but devoted himself to vigorous work, and although but eighteen years of age, he applied for a prospector’s license over the Burra-Eureka mine, situated between Sparrowhawk and Ironbark. Then, some months later, the goldfields of New Zealand caused a general exodus from Victoria, and Mr Cohn joined in the pilgrimage. The gold was being found in the South Island, and with his swag on his back, he tramped to Dunstan, and from there to Nookimia, mining and prospecting en route. Having no luck at either place, he proceeded to Dunedin, where he found letters awaiting him that called for his immediate presence in Melbourne.
Wood’s Point in Victoria was his next rendezvous, and with his pack horses, he was one of the first to arrive. He became very largely interested in reefing but made little or no money in his ventures. Not to be outdone, he then started in photography—an art in which he had always displayed studious interest. Travelling from town to town and colony to colony, he became a peripatetic photographer in earnest.
At one time he was engaged in taking views for an art publication. It necessitated his going to Cobar, New South Wales and this probably proved the turning point in his life. Mr. Cohn decided to settle in Cobar, and opened an hotel, afterwards launching out in the coaching and livery business. The copper mines of that district were developing well at this time, and he pioneered the coaches running from Cobar to Bourke, to Ningan, to Condobolin, Nimagee, and, in conjunction with a Mr. Sproule, to Hillston. He cut the first track through to Wilcannia from Cobar, and was an original shareholder in the first crushing plant erected at Bourke. Mr. Cohn stayed in Cobar for a few years, then journeyed to Silverton, New South Wales, when mining was in full swing there. Then he heard of gold being discovered in the Kimberley district, Western Australia, and although doing well at Silverton, he departed and arrived at Perth in 1885.
Making all enquiries about the country before starting, he lost no time in getting to the Kimberley district. He proceeded to Derby, the main port, and spent a little time there in completing arrangements to go to the fields. When he arrived at Hall’s Creek he was very much impressed with the country. He remained on the Kimberley Goldfields for five or six years, and during that period was once speared by natives, and on two occasions contracted fever and his life hung in the balance. When he left Hall’s Creek, Mr. Cohn intended to return to New South Wales. He arrived in Perth when the Yilgarn goldfields had been in progress only a few months. Meeting with the late Mr. J. H. Monger and Mr. Alexander Forrest, M.L.A., they advised him not to leave until he had had a look at the Yilgarn field. Mr. Cohn followed this advice, and after inspecting Southern Cross he determined to stay there.
He was appointed manager of mines for a prominent syndicate, and eventually took up the work on the Central GM, being the first to discover the rich chute of gold which brought this property before the public eye. After holding the position for eight months, he relinquished it to start in business as a contractor, forwarding agent, and aerated waters manufacturer. He built the Club Hotel and many other properties, each of which proved highly remunerative.
The Club Hotel Southern Cross – Photo Tripadvisor
Always an early riser, Mr. Cohn one morning, witnessed a sight that would have been a feast for the eyes of Midas. At five o’clock one morning, he met Arthur Bayley returning from his now famous find at Coolgardie, he being the first to receive authentic news. Bayley approached with his two horses. Suspended from one of them were two heavy bags, and he asked Mr. Cohn to “feel” them. “What’s in them?” queried Mr. Cohn. “Gold!” said Bayley. “How much?” said the astonished questioner. “Six hundred ounces!” was the quiet reply of the Coolgardie pioneer. Then the two sat down on the ground beside the horses, waiting for the bank to open, so that the gold might be safely deposited. Bayley recounted the incidents leading up to his rich discovery and gave Mr Cohn a lot of valuable information which he was not slow to act upon.
When the telegraph office opened in the morning, Mr. Cohn wired the news of the find to Mr. A. Forrest and gave all particulars concerning it. Acting on the information he received, Mr. Cohn organised teams and men to proceed to the field. Men and teams were ready the next morning (Sunday) and a week after the first equipage reached Coolgardie. On the route, plenty of water was found in the rocks and wayside “soaks.” A month after dispatching the teams, Mr. Cohn set out himself for Coolgardie, and on arrival formed the opinion that it was one of the best auriferous areas he had ever seen. He therefore acquired several properties on behalf of his syndicate. Meantime the “rush” had set in, and when tenders were called later on for mail delivery Mr. Cohn became the successful tenderer and opened up the first legitimate mail service, under the style of Cobb and Co. Still keeping up his contracting, he erected a number of wayside inns on the road to Coolgardie, and in that now rapidly expanding centre built the first hotel, to wit, the Club, in Bayley Street. Mr. Cohn also claims the honour of building the first hotel in Kalgoorlie, also called the Club.
The Club Hotel Bayley Street, Coolgardie – Photo SLWA
In Dunnsville, the township founded on the site of John Dunn’s sensational Wealth of Nations discovery, Mr. Cohn erected the Pioneer Hotel, and at Niagara, he has erected several properties. Early in the history of the Coolgardie and Kalgoorlie fields, he acquired a considerable amount of town-site property.
Alexander Forrest and John Dunn at Coolgardie after returning from the Wealth of Nations find I.J.K Cohn and Billy Williams also appear in the background of the photograph – Photo SLWA
On one occasion, when the excitement of the Wealth of Nations discovery was at its height, Mr Cohn drove Messrs. Forrest, Hassell, Monger, Marmion, and Crossland—the original syndicate—to the scene of the find, and they were on the spot forty-three hours after leaving Perth, although the railway only ran as far as Southern Cross. He made special arrangements for the trip, and let out all his buggies for the outing.
About three years later, Mr. Cohn sold out his interests in the coaches running from Coolgardie, after then being the biggest mail contractor running to and from the fields. Out of eleven mail contracts let by the Government in 1896, he secured eight. He had mail coaches running to Menzies, Niagara, Yerilla, Lake Darlot, Bulong, Kurnalpi, Esperance, and Norseman. As a contractor, he erected the telegraph line to Dundas, and he was engaged in the construction of the overland telegraph route to the South Australian border, a very large undertaking, involving the use of over 500 camels and the employment of 60 men. Outside the firm of Faiz and Taigh Mahomet, Mr. Cohn was the largest camel proprietor in the colony, owning over 600 “ships of the desert.” In 1895 he lost over £10,000 through camels dying, and he has had considerable trouble with the Afghans, who, he states, are none too careful in their treatment of beasts owned by white men.
Mr. Cohn was gazetted a J.P. in June 1895, and his decisions on the bench gave general satisfaction. He has always taken an interest in public matters. He had been a member of the Council at Southern Cross since its inception, and for two years he occupied the mayoral chair. He was also chairman of the Southern Cross Roads Board.
Mr. Cohn amassed a comfortable competency, but his success in life came not without the reverses of “Experience’s fiery furnace.” He deserves credit for the work he accomplished in Western Australia, and, though he was not born in it, he was one of its most solid and consistent supporters.
Isidore died in Perth aged 86 years in 1922, he is buried in the Anglican Section of the Karakatta Cemetery.
REF: The History of Western Australia by W B Kimberley Published in 1897
The habit of men giving each other nicknames was as common in the early days as it is today, one newspaper reported the following:-
A number of really useless letters before or after a man’s name, is objectionable and inconvenient, as it gives scope to ribald jokers in “scurrilous rags” to manufacture acrostics. I know of a most estimable gentleman in this colony, who, from his initials, is known as “I Just Killed Christ.”
Moya Sharp
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I read your history of isadore James Knight Cohn, and have reasonable grounds to link him with a relative Isidor Cohen, born 23 October 1839 at Northgate in the district of Canterbury England, He was a pupil at Sussex house Dover run by his uncle Raphael Cohen. His father was Victor Cohen and Mother Henrietta formally Magnus. With his parents and other siblings he migrated to Melbourne in 1852 on the Eliza and was a renowned photographer at 76 Smith Street up until 1872. At times he was a photographer in Sandhurst (Bendigo). He married Annie Emily Amelia Harding in 1861. They had six children three born in Collingwood, one in Sandhurst and one at the Caledonian diggings. From other relatives research it appears that this Isidor Cohen changed his name to Cohn. I have discovered that Isadore James Knight Cohn had a wife who died in Perth in 1920 whose name was Annie Emily Amelia formally Harding. It seems that this woman links the two names of Cohen and Cohn and that they may be the same person. It seems two big a coincidence that these two men had a wife with exactly the same given names and maiden name of Harding. I have copies of Isador Cohens birth certificate and marriage certificate and copies of the English census for 1841, and 1851, and records of his place of residence and studio up until 1872, also a record of his bankruptcy in 1861 through reef speculation and his discharge in 1865, and a advertisement of the tattersall’s Hotel in Cobar NSW, the proprietor being Isidor J.K. Cohn. If they are both the same person I have pictures of his mother and father and other records of the family, for example his father was born in Hammerstein Prussia in 1816 and migrated to England marrying Henrietta in the isle of Thanet virtually Margate Kent. I would be interested on your thoughts as I await copies of Annie’s and Isadore James Knight Cohn that may give a further clue to who these people are. If they are the same then the early part of this history would need amending. I cant find any references to an Isidor Cohen being born in Victoria in 1843 that i noticed was included in the History of WA, and in the Hillbricks Family tree, though other references like parents names appear the same. Kind regards David Maughan.
Hi David Thanks for getting in touch. Isador was definitely ‘a bigger than life’ character and was involved in lots of different things. Your story does indeed sound quite possible. Do you have any idea why he changed the surname, if it is him that is. As you say its quite a coincidence regarding his wifes forenames. If I may, I will forward on your comments to my friend and fellow historian, who has done a story about Isadore in connection with a book she is writing on Afghans and cameleers.
I have reason to believe that he may of changed his name from Cohen to Cohn, as I mentioned he had dealings in Sandhurst (bendigo) in 1860 when in 1861 he was declared a bankrupt, and was not released from insolvency until 1865. the reason he went broke was from ‘reeefing speculations’. In between times as mentioned from trying his luck on the gold fields he was a photographer at 76 Smith Street Collingwood. He employed a young chap Tom Roberts to set up backdrops and scenes for his photos. Roberts became famous for his paintings especially outback scenes. About 10 years ago a women contacted me from Sydney and said she was related and that she had traced her family to Isidor cohen and had evidence that he changed his name to Cohn. I have searched the bdm of Vic. and nsw and both Annie Emily Amelia Cohen his wife and Isidor leave no trace. Except in Cobar as mentioned. I am awaiting certified copies of death certificates for both Cohn and wife Annie. I am also waiting on one for his second wife Mary McGlinn that he married in 1920 shortly after Annie died. This second wife Mary he had child with in 1891. She was from York WA between Perth and Koolgardie. If I can match the Annie with both cohen and Kohn it does eliminate a lot of perhaps coincidences. It may be of interest to your friend writing about the Afghans as in 1948 we bought camels from Marree in SA to our zoo in Melbourne. Two brothers came with the camels who were direct decendents of the Afghans . One was Doug Kite, who taught me to ride and work with the camels. His brother went back to Marree but Doug stayed in Melbourne and I lost touch. But recently i was talking to the clerk of the course of Flemington racecourse and I noticed a beautiful plaited headband on enquiring he said a doug kite made it. It appears doug Kite became famous for his plaiting in leather and I was able to google some of his work now held in the Melbourne Museum. I have some old photos of doug on the camels we bought. If I can positively link Cohen and Cohn I have photos of Cohen’s Father and Mother. Thank you for your reply. Kind regards David Maughan. Cohen’s first child was born out of wedlock before he married Annie. Seems Kohn did the same thing in WA? There does seem a pattern emerging? Cheers.
I would love to speak with David Maughan as I’ve been researching Isadore/Isidore/Isidor James Knight Cohen/Cohn for a number of years. He was my great great grandfather and his daughter Leah Sophia was my great grandmother. I am away at the moment so don’t have all dates at hand but the 2 who you refer to are definitely the same person and he did change his name from Cohen to Cohn in later years. I’m pretty sure that some of his children were born Cohen and some born Cohn. I’m sure I have supporting documentation. Also currently moving house so a lot of my records are packed away. Would really love some info on Victor and Henrietta and would be very appreciative of a photo!
Hi Helen I have had contact with a Great Grandchild of IJK Cohn shoudl you be interested in contacting them.
Hi Moya. Sorry, have only just seen your reply. I would definitely be interested in contacting a relative of IJK…thank you!
Have just emailed you.