Up to ten years of age and 1949 when my family moved to Boulder and up close to the Golden Mile, I lived in central Brookman Street, halfway between the police station and the brothels as I like to tell people.
Hannan Street Kalgoorlie
Opposite the Catholic Church lived a schoolmate of mine, Graham Darcy whose father, if I recollect correctly, was Town Clerk of Kalgoorlie, that is CEO in modern jargon. Just up from Lane Street lived one Mr Gillespie, I forget his given name, who was about that time a Councillor or maybe Shire Clerk of Boulder and may have at one stage become a member of the WA Parliament.
Over the many years I and many other boys cycled from Boulder to CBC Kalgoorlie we would pass the two story residence on Federal Rd, near the trotting ground, of one Mr Cunningham, don’t recall his given name, who I think was the MLA for Kalgoorlie for a time – his daughter Lois was a student at EGHS and participated in inter school athletic carnivals.
From 1945 to 1947 I attended the St Mary’s Convent school and each day walked passed the Kalgoorlie Brewery which brewed the once iconic Hannans Lager – my recollection is that the brewery was just west of Cassidy Street. Opposite the brewery and a little east of where Coles is now, there was a woodyard run by a Mr Naughton who had three sons and one daughter.
Older readers would recall his son Leo, a schoolmate of mine, who played football with Kalgoorlie Kangas and later played with East Fremantle in the then extremely strong WA National Football League in Perth.
Leo had a lovely temperament, as a schoolboy he would recite verses from the ribald Ivan Skavinsky Skavar – later I was grieved to hear that he died prematurely.
Another schoolmate of mine and fine footballer and athlete of those years was Jim Reidy, like Leo he had a lovely temperament and would be remembered by many Goldfields people.
During the 1940/50’s there were three cinemas or picture theaters in Kalgoorlie, the Regent on the north west corner of Hannan and Wilson Streets, the Cremorne just up from the Kalgoorlie Miner, and the Majestic up toward the top of Hannan Street. In Boulder of course was the Palace.
We small fry mostly would attend the Saturday afternoon matinee, and as we went into puberty and teenage years Friday night was the preferred cinema time.
Incidentally, regarding football, Kalgoorlie Boulder football was extremely strong in the 1950’s – East Fremantle with the legendary Jack Sheedy playing, and Claremont, both from the WANFL, were both thrashed by combined Goldfields on Kalgoorlie Oval.
I have an idea that two big name players of that time, Ron Billett and Arthur Phillips, played in the combined Goldfields. About the same time Combined Goldfields played Swan Districts led by Keith Slater on Boulder Oval, but don’t recall the result. Many Goldfields players of that time went on to great things – Dave Cuzens of Kalgoorlie went to Richmond where he won two fairest and bests, and Alex Epis of Mines finished at Essendon where he represented the great Victorian teams of that time and ended being named in the Essendon greatest teams of all time.
Then there were such players as Jim Mitchell who went to Swan Districts, Brian MacGregor to East Perth, Fred Seinor to East Fremantle, and Joe Fanchi to West Perth – I still recall Joe scoring 13 goals in one game for West Perth. Joe of course achieved fame when, if I recall correctly, he kicked WA to victory against Victoria in I think the 1961 interstate carnival. A great era for football, and also Kalgoorlie and Boulder great family towns then.
Thanks Tony for sharing your memories with us!
Moya Sharp
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