Family and Local History of the Goldfields of Western Australia
Murchison Times and Day Dawn Gazette 29 July 1897 SUICIDE AT SMITHFIELD Last Saturday week a miner, Thomas McKileen (MacKileen), living by himself in a tent at Smithfield, committed suicide by blowing his brains out. At an inquest … [Continue reading]
Four years after the establishment of the Department of Mines, it bore little resemblance to the tiny Mining Branch which had started operation within the Department of Lands and Surveys in Perth WA. Mr Patrick Pelly, a clerk with the … [Continue reading]
I recently received this wonderful photo from a fellow historian who lives in Wales, Alwyn Evans. He tells me: In 1900 Wiluna was hit by massive floods after 28 inches of rain, and all work ceased for some time on the Gwalia Consols mine which … [Continue reading]
I have recently been in correspondence with Elaine Hopper and Michael Crennan who have kindly allowed me to share the story about their relative, Michael Crennan. We originally came into contact through the Western Australian Virtual Miners Memorial … [Continue reading]
BLACK FLAG:- R H Henning and party pegged the Black Flag lease which in October 1894 was reported to be ‘doing very well.’ The property was sold the following year to Lord Sudley’s syndicate for $48,000. By this time men were opening up their … [Continue reading]
