Pioneer Publican – Richard Fagan

Richard Fagan was born in Kelso, Bathurst NSW in 1866.  he was the son of Matthew FAGAN and Mary Anne ROBINSON, he had seven brothers and five sisters. Following the lure of gold and riches he travelled by ship with many others, arriving in Albany Western Australia on the 4th September 1890, he then proceeded […]

The Exchange Hotel Broad Arrow

Following on from the recent article on the hotels of Broad Arrow I received an email from an OFH reader, John Hanley. His Gt Grandfather James Hanley owned and ran the Exchange Hotel and his family is fortunate in that the original cash book from the hotel has been preserved and passed down through the […]

The Lillis Family – pioneer profile

The Lillis family were pioneers of early Coolgardie up to the 1940’s.

Doyles Well – an oasis in the desert

DOYLES WELL – originally called – CUTMORE’S WELL. Located between Leonora and Agnew and near the Turkey and Wilson Creeks. A Wayside in and coaching stop. In 1903 there was a coach service from Leonora on three days a week. There were stockmen working for the stagecoach lines stationed there until at least about 1912. […]

Playing Hookey !!! A very serious game.

‘Playing Hooky’, many of you, myself included, may think this means by definition:- To be absent from school with out permission or excuse. However if you were a drinker in the 1930’s in Kalgoorlie Boulder you probably would remember a quite different game. I first heard of this game when an ‘Outback Family History’ reader, […]