Linden – ghost town

Linden
the wounds of the golden game

Linden is an abandoned townsite in the eastern goldfields, 75 km south of Laverton on the southern side of Lake Carey. Gold was discovered in this area in the mid-1890s, and in 1896 Warden Owen suggested a townsite be created. Owen used the name Griffithston for the place, but departmental officers in the Department of Lands and Surveys felt this name unsuitable and suggested Linden instead. Mount Linden is located just to the south of the townsite and has been shown on maps since 1897. It is not known who the name commemorates, although it was probably prospector James Linden. The townsite of Linden was gazetted in 1897.   Latitude : 29 18 S Longitude : 122 26 E

Mt Linden – Photo SLWA

Linden Townsite street map – Image SLWA

Great Carbine Gold Mine, Linden, ca. 1915 – Photo SLWA

Along the Road to Linden

Along the road to Linden where the stunted gum trees wave
Is the land of memories, a lonely miners grave
A hallowed spot, ‘Where all who pass should stop’
And tribute pay

Lonely he rests a rest he must until
The final call of judgement to awaken at God’s will
Now the Eucalypts regrowing on the field that bears their name,
Hide scars, ‘wounds of the golden game’.

Churned up ground akin to the war torn fields of France
Silent evidence of a maddened golden dance.
Sleep in peace old fellow, you have played your part,
Now WA is growing with a great pulsating heart.

The awakening of a people to the richness of their land.
I know its dry and dusty and how the sun glares down,
But my memories there are cherished of a lot of mates who perished
Far from the sight of town.

Along the road to Linden – well outlet – Photo SLWA

Grave of William Patrick McCormack, Linden – Photo Kevin Coate

William Patrick McCormack – d 30 May 1897 age 43yrs, at Eucalyptus on the Linden Road in the Leonora district. The grave surround was a wooden fence made of trimmed gum timber. There was a cross still on the grave in 1940 with the inscription all cut by hand. It must have taken a long time to complete. William was a butcher by trade who was believed to be a victim of Typhoid fever. He had two daughters and was the Grandfather of William Ainslie of Bunbury.

McCormack was amongst the old pioneers of the district and spent most of his time prospecting, but with little success.
While working at the Triumph mine he became ill and removed to his camp on the Shannon Lease at Eucalyptus where he attended to his ailments. However and old complaint of the lungs banished all hope. William had two brothers and a sister on the fields who were unaware of his illness. His brother, P J McCormack, on hearing the news the day prior to his death, rode from Coolgardie, a distance of 185 miles, but was only in time to see his friends erect a fence and epitaph to their companions grave

Next Week – Linden Cemetery – grave tales

Ref: Yundamindera by Alex Palmer
Lonely Graves by Yvonne and Kevin Coate

Recommended Reading:

The Linden Girl, the story of outlawed
lives by Pamela Rajkowski

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Moya Sharp

Owner at Outback Family History

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.

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