The Smetherham’s – a family story

The Coolgardie Memories of the Smetherham’s by Elsie Turner William SMETHERHAM and his wife Angelina ‘Louisa’ nee MOYLE arrived in Coolgardie from Eaglehawk near Bendigo in the mid 1890’s. With them came their children – 6 year old twins Elsie and Sydney and 2 year old William junior. Their first home in Coolgardie was in […]

William James Cecil – grave tales

This wonderful photograph was taken at the rear of the ‘Fancy Goods Depot’ at 65 Bayley Street, Coolgardie. In the photograph are Annie Cecil, William James ‘Jim’ Cecil, and their two sons Clyde and Les Cecil. The photograph was taken in 1906 by Jack Bayley who was Annie’s Brother-in-law. The family ran this store for […]

“Burly” McLean Drops in – by Allen Gledhill

from Allen Gledhill. John Gary’s great-nephew Claimed To Be Strongest Digger On three Fields “BURLY” McLEAN DROPS IN by John Gary They’re among the men who tell you that the gold rush days –  the days of overnight fortunes, bare-knuckle fights, and chamois bags of gold are gone. Those days still live! They’re as rip-roaring […]

John H M Johannesen – grave tales

John Helge Martin Johannesen . He was born ion the 7th Dec 1866 in Frue Sogn, Aarhus, Denmark. He was the son of Carl Emil JOHANNESEN (1852-1953) and Sofie nee SVENSDATTER and was the oldest of 10 children to the couple. He died at the Coolgardie Government Hospital on the 12th October 1912 from Pulmonary […]

The Tobias Brothers –

Coolgardie Pioneer 11 December 1897, page 4 THE TOBIAS BROTHERS. We are herewith publishing a photo of one of the pioneer stores of the field — that of Tobias Brother. Starting in a small way at the lower end of Bayley Street in 1892 next to the Freemasons Hotel, they soon doubled their trade, and […]