Lawlers Update – book review

This book is a rare publication and  is very hard to find. It was written by Lyn Hatch to celebrate the centenary of the town of Lawlers. The book was published by Plutonic mining who also published a book on Darlot.

100years  – Lawlers 1895 to 1996 – A tribute to past and present pioneers by Lyn Hatch published by –  Plutonic Mining in 1995

LAWLERS

Latitude 28° 05′ S Longitude 120° 31′ E

The townsite of Lawlers is located in the eastern goldfields, about 992 km from Perth. It is also about 32 km from Leinster. Gold was discovered here in 1894 by Patrick J Lawler (“Paddy Lawler”), a prospector who was rewarded for his discovery in 1899. In 1896 the Government decided to survey a townsite at Lawlers, the land being surveyed in April and the townsite was gazetted later that year.

The following are some of the photographs from the book which are featured on the ‘Lawlers’ page on the Outback Family History web site.

Lawlers Townsite 1910

Routledge, Morris and Willis Butchers, Lawlers.

Lawlers State School 1919

Back Row:- L-R – Albert CHAMPION, Don MAUND, Harry MAUND, Dorothy SMITH, Con FINCH,
Mike FINCH,   ???CHAMPION,
Second Row:- Eunice SMITH, Ethel PHILLIPS, Larry POOLE, Gladys SHIEL, May BRANSON.
Front Row:-  ????, Albert LYNCH, Bob PHILLIPS, Des SMITH, ????, Kevin McPHERSON
Teacher:- Mr Keith McKEE photo – Mrs E McMeeken

Lawlers School 1925

Back Row:- Robert KING, George KING, Mildred MUTTON, Eileen LINANE, Harry KING,
Mr Hugh ENSOR (Teacher), Connie MaCPHERSON, Bell KING.
Front Row:- Nellie MacPHERSON, Harold KING, Jean WHITE, Ronald SHIEL, Grace KING, George BRANSON, Noni MacPHERSON, Bonnie ROBINSON and Walter ROBINSON – photo Eunice Martin

The book also has quite a few other photographs and information on the history of the town and its people. I have tried to locate a copy in the library system without any luck.
The ISBN is 0-646-25279-8

As well as stories and photograph it also lists the cemetery entries, police who served there the and short stories on various mines in the area.
More Lawlers updates to follow.

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My name is Moya Sharp, I live in Kalgoorlie Western Australia and have worked most of my adult life in the history/museum industry. I have been passionate about history for as long as I can remember and in particular the history of my adopted home the Eastern Goldfields of Western Australia. Through my website I am committed to providing as many records and photographs free to any one who is interested in the family and local history of the region.

Comments

  1. Gloria Wylie says

    Where can I buy Lynn Hatchs book on Darlot please My Uncle worked there for years I will buy anything I can on Darlot

  2. Steve Nicholls says

    My grandmother (Florence “Flossie” Grigg) was born in Lawlers in 1901 and was still living there in 1909. So, she is likely to be one of the children in this picture.

    • Steve Nicholls says

      Just seen that although the photo filename states 1909, the caption states 1919. So, it won’t include my Nan as she moved to UK in 1914.

  3. Fleur Bugarin says

    Hello Moya,

    Just wondering if and where I would be able to get a hold of this book as my father lived in Lawlers as a young person. He was born in Cue and moved to Big Bell and subsequently moved to Lawlers. I am trying to follow some of his history.

    Kind regards Fleur.

    • Dear Fleur Im afraid that these books are very hard to come by. They were produced by the mining company as a PR excercise and were never actually sold just give away to clients. If you just wanted to read it I am sure you will be able to ordert on through your local library loan. This is the ISBN number:- 0-646-25279-8 if all else fails I could photocopy my copy for you. There is not a great deal on Lawlers unfortuantley. Bye for now Moya

  4. Hello Moya
    Just looking at the 1919 school photo of Lawlers the 2nd row you have a Larry Poole is that a typo because it definitely looks like a girl with pigtails in a black dress., in fact the whole row are girls. Just checking as elderly friend who I am doing a tree for a had cousin called Lillian Louisa Poole who would have gone to school around about that year and her father Harry Poole worked in the mines there at that time with his father inlaw Jonathaon Charles Richards who is buried in Lawlers Cemetery, love your work very helpful for people researching their trees.
    Regards
    Joy Mikulandra

    • Hi Joy I got the Lawlers book out and checked the name they give for this photo. It does indeed say ‘Larry’. I wonder if this could be a nickname for Lillian Louisa. Either this or it is indeed an error but I can’t say for sure.

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