Illustration by Norm Aisbett
Albert Jesse ‘Tommy’ Talbot was born on a farm in Holcombe-Rogus, Hawkworthy in Devonshire in England on March the 9th, 1869. His eldest son and eldest daughter were also born on March the 9th, an unusual coincidence. Talbot came to WA in 1887. In 1891 he was working for a farmer at Northam and from there he went to Southern Cross. His first job was hod carrying for I J K Cohen on the construction of the Club Hotel, from where he went on to Fraser’s Mine. In July/August of 1892, Arthur Bailey had returned from a prospecting trip east of Southern Cross to sell gold and replenish supplies for himself and his mate William Ford. The men on Fraser’s mine were on strike at the time and Tommy Talbot and his two mates, Harry Baker and Dick Fosser, decided that as Bailey had not stayed longer than necessary in Southern Cross he must be onto something good. They procured a riding horse to be ridden turn about, a pack horse, and a native boy to guide them.
There is evidence to indicate that the men were inexperienced and ill-equipped. Nevertheless, they set out and after a couple of days of travel, their native guide deserted them. He was out of his tribal territory. Talbot and his mates followed Bailey’s tracks and eventually reached the Gnarlbine Soak, a water supply of limited capacity established by explorer CC Hunt. They moved on north of the soaks and camped adjacent to where the reservoir is now at Coolgardie and obtained water from a small soak in the vicinity of the present hospital.
They met Bailey and Ford on what is now known as Fly Flat, where apparently both parties had found some alluvial gold. Later, Talbot and his mates found a quartz reef carrying a rich gold close by, and in their excitement left it late in the afternoon to return to their camp but became lost. Evidence of their inexperience can be gauged by the fact that one at least of the three, did not stay at the site of the find to ensure their right to peg the claim.
Albert Jesse ‘Tommy’ Talbot – Photo Find a Grave
All three went to their camp, alas, to read instructions and to go through the business of pegging a claim. When at last they reached the site again, Bailey and Ford had pegged an area that included their rich reef. There was naturally a dangerous situation, all the men were armed and the fact that
there was no bloodshed was, to quote Talbot, “A Miracle’.
However, the situation resolved itself and Ford gave Talbot and his mates a hand to peg a claim on the South of the one pegged by Baily and Ford. The partners sold their lease later for a good price. Little is known of what Baker and Fosser did eventually, but Talbot apparently remained in the area and invested his money in a bank that went broke. But undaunted, he started in business, condensing water, baking bread and butchering. He drove sheep from South Australia and bought into Southern Hills station east of Norseman and later Mundrabilla and Madura stations.
He married Elizabeth ‘Bessie’ Haldane COWARD from Adelaide SA in Perth WA in 1904. It had been recalled that Mrs Talbot lived for 11 years at Mundrabilla and during one period of isolation went for three years without seeing another white woman. Talbot got a financial lift when he was contracted to supply all the meat for the men employed on the transcontinental railway. Talbot also had pastoral holdings in the north of the state, namely Croydon, Peron Carrarang and one on Dirk Hartog Island.
He mined for gold at Southern Cross, Widgiemooltha and Cue and had several hotels. The Nedlands Park, the Ascot Inn, Nannup, Busselton, Collie, The Widgiemooltha. Talbot was in his 84th year when he died in 1952 and is buried at the Karrakatta Cemetery.
He was truly the pioneer of his type.
Grave of Tommy and Bessie Talbot – Karrakatta Cemetery, Perth – Photo Find a Grave
Ref: Kalgoorlie Miner Newspaper 21 Oct 1978 –
There is a park in Bailey Street Coolgardie name after Tommy. Tommy and Bessie were to have four children: Jessie Elizabeth born 1905 – Gladys Olive born 1906 – Albert Jesse born 1907 and Thomas Haldane born 1909.
Moya Sharp
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Amazing life story!