The Murchison – on dust storms and barmaids

Murchison Times and Day Dawn Gazette – 25 September 1897, page 4 The Murchison Author unknown (From the London Financial Times) The Murchison was the earliest explored field in West Australia, not the first goldfield—that was Yilgarn, discovered by my friend Anstey—but the first upon which development work was undertaken. It went with a boom […]

Unlucky Jim – a verse

Northam Courier – 2 Dec 1910, page 6 UNLUCKY JIM Thus he spoke, in tones lugubrious, “Life is but an empty dream” And its joys are just as fleeting, As projections on a screen. Nought remains but plenty trouble, Disappointments, quite a heap, Punted years on singles, doubles, Nuff to make a feller weep. Thus […]

The Prison Log and “Sky Blue Goannas”

In the early days of Coolgardie, there was no provision for holding prisoners pending their appearance in court, so Corporal McCarthy chopped a four-foot log from a three-foot thick trunk of a blown down salmon gum to which they were chained by a strong steel staple at one end and handcuffs at the other. (A […]

Leonard Elvey’s Last Trip – pioneer profile

Found by John Pritchard during his research into those buried in the Cue Cemetery – Murchison Times and Day Dawn Gazette 6 April 1895, page 2 DEATH OF A WELL-KNOWN PROSPECTOR. Leonard Elvey’s Last Trip Throughout West Australia, or wherever diggers may be met who have been associated with these goldfields, the news of Leonard […]

Margaret Morgan – grave tales

Margaret Morgan nee McGree was born in Bowden, South Australia on 18th September 1867. She was the daughter of Patrick McGree and Elizabeth Dunne. She was the fifth child of Patrick and Elizabeth who had in total of 14 children. In 1892 Margaret  she married James Morgan (possibly in Tasmania or SA) and they had […]