In 1893 in Coolgardie, the refusal of one condenser operator to lower his price provoked an ugly street riot.
Every evening men went to the condensers, taking their turn with all the others waiting for a gallon, or sometimes half a gallon, of water, according to the supplies available.
For some time, Coolgardie had been drawing supplies from Albert W McDonald’s (later to become 2nd Mayor of Coolgardie 1896-1897) condenser at Hannan’s salt lake, which had then to be carted thirty miles to Coolgardie by spring carts and camel trains. There was great indignation when the condenser operator put up the price.
A.W. McDonald had bores on Hannan’s Lake which drew the salt water and condensed it, producing 11,000 gallons daily. Water was short in Coolgardie and McDonald was the chief supplier to the Old Camp. He was reckoned to be making a fair profit of sixpence a gallon and the miners were enraged at him for persuading the other operators not to sell at less than one shilling a gallon.
A Coolgardie Water Condenser
The miners contended, the salt water was the property of all and the condenser operators were making a fair profit on their plant and labour by selling at the usual rate. Some of the smaller condenser operators operated from the ring that had been formed and refused to support McDonald’s increase.
McDonald, a sour, stubborn man, was one of the wealthiest and the most powerful of the operators. He held out for one shilling and defied the roll ups at Hannan’s and Coolgardie, where the rattle of dishes could be heard at Fly Flat. Men made for the roll up, most of them unwashed and dust begrimed, because they were hard up and already going short of water.
McDonald’s plant and tanks stood beside his store in Bayley Street. They thought that straight talk and a vigorous demonstration would bring him to his senses. There was even talk of manhandling McDonald and burning down his store.
McDonalds Condenser, Kalgoorlie – Goldfields Courier Saturday 24 July 1897, page 15
When they arrived at the lakeside, they found McDonald had gone to Coolgardie, leaving a man in charge who was incapable of handling the situation. After McDonald’s wife and children, who had been asleep at the back, were rushed out the back door and into the bush, a battle raged between those trying to set fire to the store and diggers determined to prevent the wanton destruction of food and water.
When most of the men calmed down, one young man drove a pick into an 11,000-gallon tank and the water they all wanted ran to waste. Some tried to plug the hole and others beat out the flames when the store started to blaze, and it was not till later when everything settled down that they saw what would have happened had the fire not been extinguished. There were ten cases of dynamite and 3,000 detonators in the store.
McDonald attended the next roll up, being sufficiently impressed by the bitter feeling against him, and explained why he was raising the price. Cost of horse feed and carting wood to keep the condenser going were his chief excuse.
Four delegates appointed to investigate the plant and the cost of running it reported that McDonald was making a decent profit at sixpence a gallon, and everyone pledged they would not buy water from him.
Other condensers were set up. The ring McDonald tried to organise collapsed and water was reduced to ₤1 per 100 gallons.
Later in that same year Mr McDonald sold his Coolgardie Condenser (which a court case ensued) and removed himself and his wife to Bunbury for health reasons.
Bunbury Herald – 24 April 1896, page 3
Moya Sharp
Latest posts by Moya Sharp (see all)
- A New Town Hall for Southern Cross – - 09/11/2024
- The Widow Who Sued – a breach of promise - 09/11/2024
- Eh! but she was a good girl – grave tales - 09/11/2024
Leave a Reply