William Osmand ‘Bunny’ CHOULES was born on the 8 December 1848 in East Grafton, Great Bedwyn, Wiltshire England. He came to Australia alone aged only 17 years on the ship the ‘Salamanca’ in October 1865, arriving in Port Adelaide South Australia in Jan 1866. He stated his occupation as a Labourer. Also travelling on the […]
Beware of Victorians Bearing Gifts –
Western Mail 29 September 1938, page 11 OVER THE PLATES One Day in Early Kanowna. A couple of young Victorians blew into camp one morning with a spring cart loaded with fresh vegetables, no more than a week old at least. Every man on the field was troubled with ‘Barcoo Rot‘, so the half-withered green […]
John Minden Caulfeild – grave tales
On the evening of Monday 20th October 1896, three men of Kanowna, Open Call stockbroker Thomas Moore Fletcher, 22-year-old photographer John Minden Caulfeild, and Richard Baugh, cycled out to Lake Gwynn and set up a camp on the western shore of the lake about 5 miles from Kanowna. They had hired ‘The Gwynn’, a flat […]
George and Jessie Cooper – pioneer profile
George Astley and Jessie Cooper from Carol Townsend (Great Granddaughter). George Astley COOPER was born in 1865 at Duck Ponds, Victoria. In 1890 to Benjamin Edward and Sophia Elizabeth. He married Jessie HASTHORPE in Warragul, Victoria. Jessie was born in 1868 in Collingwood Victoria, the daughter of Jessie and Esther nee VARNEY. George and Jessie […]
Old Mulgabbie – over the plates
Western Mail 23 January 1941, page 9 – Dolly Pot Old Mulgabbie About 130 kilometres north-east of Kalgoorlie, along the Kurnalpi-Pinjin Road. In the year of 1898 or thereabouts following closely on the opening of the Kanowna Deep Leads, I struck the track from Norseman to Coolgardie accompanied by a mate. We had light hearts, […]