I was recently sent this wonderful photograph from OFH reader, Peter Sirr, who has given me permission to share this great image from his family album.
Peter tells me:- This is a Sirr family photo circa 1914 (or before). They are at a picnic on a woodline out of Gwalia/Leonora. The older white haired man in the middle is my great grandfather, Alfred Sirr, and on his right is my great grandmother Anne (Annie, Nance) Sirr (nee Jones). Various family members and friends are also there. The man to Anne’s right is, I believe, a Mr Rowe, who had a hairdressing saloon in Gwalia, and my grandfather, also Alf Sirr, (extreme left) went on to do an apprenticeship with him, and he also features in my grandfathers wedding photo.
Alfred senior came to Albany from NSW and walked to Coolgardie along the Holland Track and was there for a couple of years before heading to Gwalia. He died from miners lung, not long after this photo was taken. He was a shift boss on the Sons of Gwalia mine and also had his own mine about 7.5 miles NNE of Leonora from which he and two partners took quite a lot of gold.
Plaque on the Grave of Alfred SIRR in the Leonora Cemetery.
In Memory of ALFRED SIRR
20-12-1960 – 24-8-1914
Husband of Anne (Jones)
14-6-1961 – 6-12-1933
Father of Margaret, William, Byron, Annie, Alfred, Byron George
Erected in 1998 by his family of 10 Grandchildren.
Leonora Miner 28 August 1915
Alfred Sirr (extreme left) with the official staff of Sons of Gwalia Mine, ca.1900
Some more photos from the Sirr family album, taken around the Leonora Gwalia area:-
Alfred and Annie SIRR Gwalia
Annie and Maggie SIRR Leonora 1918
Byron SIRR Left Kneeling
Byron SIRR right rear
George Miller second left Gwalia
Photographs shared with the kind permission of the Sirr family
Moya Sharp
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Lovely to see these great photos. And what a lovely cake they are about to have
Its a really amazing photo, so clear you can read the labels on the bottles.
Or it could be a pavlova! What do you think?
Thanks for showing the wonderful photo of the Gwalia woodline picnic.
Aren’t they dressed up – not like how we would go out to such an event today.
In the background are the rail trucks attached to the company train. People sat on these trucks on the way out bush from Gwalia to have their picnic day.
I know its a wonderful photo, and so clear you can read the labels on the bottles. The fellow who sent me says he had another 20 photos to share, cant wait to see them.
Hi Moya, I have seen the other photos you refer to as Peter is my 1st cousin. He has an amazing collection of photos and great stories to tell!