“Can I shave you. Mr. Smiler.” ???

From the pen of ‘Smiler Hales’ – Alfred Arthur Greenwood HALES (1860-1936) “You can’t whip a mining camp for novelties”. I was walking along Bayley street the other afternoon, feeling like a poet and looking like a tramp out of luck, when I saw a shingle hanging from a tent, which bore the information that […]

Warden Finnerty : that is the question?

These two photographs present a mystery which is unlikely to be resolved. Both are believe to be the same man at different points in his life, but confirmation of that is a tall order. John Michael Finnerty was born in Ireland and educated at Rugby school, his father was Major Finnerty, who saw service in […]

Coolgardie Footballers – 1930’s

Back Row:- L-R    ? – ? – ? – Len PERRY – ? – George TREHERN – Bub KEMP – ? – Jack CAVAZZI. Front Row:–  ? –  Bill ALLEN – Jack HEWITT – Telf PEDRETTI – ? – ? – ? – George PATIENCE -Jimmy PEDRETTI. Front Lying:– Henry POSTANS. Back Row:- L-R […]

Caris Brothers : pioneer profile

Many of you will have heard of the Caris Brothers Jewellers that used to be in the Hay Street Mall in Perth, but did you know the business started in the Goldfields? Some years ago I was contacted by Lloyd Caris, he asked if I could help him with his family history as he was […]

The First Coolgardie Marriages

Many years ago I was fortunate to be given access to the first marriage records for Coolgardie from July 1894 to Aug 1898. These marriages are not only a record of two people joining in matrimony but it also show the broad number of the different nationalities and occupations of these first pioneers. I have […]