From Jo Roelofs: Jo has very kindly share these wonderful family photo with us. Attached are photos of my Great Grandfather Thomas Asplin with his water condenser at Coolgardie 1898-9. According to Post Office Directory of Coolgardie 1898-99, he had his condenser in Shaw St on the right hand side if travelling from Lefroy St […]
Coolgardie Pioneer Cemetery –
07/03/2020 By Leave a Comment
The first burial at Coolgardie was of a man only known as ‘Ginger’ who succumbed to a severe bout of dysentery in 1893 and was buried as ‘Buffalo’ because a copy of that Lodge’s Rule Book was found in his camp at the foot of Mt Eva. Later, an old prospector was taken to his […]
Benjamin Strange – pioneer profile
06/03/2020 By Leave a Comment
Benjamin Edward (Ben) Strange (1868-1930), cartoonist, was born on 10 May 1868 at the cavalry barracks, Newbridge, County Kildare, Ireland, son of Benjamin Strange, private in the 10th Hussars, and his French wife Augustine, née Menefoz. After serving in India, his father retired and Ben attended a London board school. He learned drawing and painting […]
The Great Unwashed Preserver of the Peace:
29/02/2020 By Leave a Comment
Constable JOLLY – Coolgardie, Western Australia 1909 Nick-named ‘The Great Unwashed Preserver of the Peace’ Constable Jolly blamed the scarcity of water for his economical use of it which in turn, caused some dissatisfaction among his fellow police officers who finally planned to lure him to Silverthorne’s dam and push him in. This drastic step […]
The Atlas Chambers – Coolgardie
22/02/2020 By Leave a Comment
The Atlas Chambers was an imposing building with front windows designed on novel lines. There were a large number of tenants occupying the commodious suites of rooms upstairs and the spacious shops below. The elegant displays by Elliotts, framed as they were with arched windows, would have done credit to any city store. The site […]
