Archives for January 2018

And Be Home Before Dark – a book review

Some of you may recall this excellent publication some years back, and some of you may have a copy, or have read it. Published in 2008, Im sure that you will agree with me that is is a wonderful recollection of a childhood spent ‘on the edge of nowhere’. The book has sold 25,000 copies […]

The Sandalwood Puller – a verse

We have another great verse from well know writer and poet John Terrell:- In the rugged goldfields scrub he pulls sandalwood for a living Beyond all bitumen roads in conditions unforgiving He’s a different type of bloke, a recluse some might say But spot a big ‘un in the bush and he’ll holler, hip-hoorah! His […]

The Old Soldier – father and son

This is the most amazing photo don’t you think? It is of Amadeo GALLE aged 99yrs and his son Raffael aged 67yrs taken c 1936 at their home at 1 Hamilton Street, Boulder. Raffael was a bootmaker!! Amadeo fought with Guiseppi Garabaldi’s Redshirts in 1859 and helped in the unification of Italy. he wears his hat […]

A Bushranger of Note – where did Joe go?

Although this is not a ‘Goldfields’ story it is one that I have always had a soft spot for as ‘Joe’ came out on the same convict ship as my husbands Gt Gt Grandfather. I had fondly thought that they may have met on the ship, both being the same age, who knows, maybe they […]

Ratepayers Gazetteer -1900

The following is an extract from an excellent online Gazetteer sent to me by an OFH reader, John Pritchard. In the foreword the publishers confidentially exclaim that this, the first issue, will be an annual production. Each year getting bigger and better. Sadly this never came to be and it appears that this was the […]