The Mt Magnet Murder –

Western Mail 1 November 1951, page 18 WESTRALIANA Murchisonite recalls a grim story The Mt Magnet Murder A murder that was committed at Mt Magnet in 1898 was never solved, despite the very closest inquiries by detectives, and police generally on the Murchison at the time. The tragedy was known as ‘The Magnet Murder’ and […]

The Philippe family – grave tales

Four adult members of the Philippe family are buried in this one grave in the Kalgoorlie Cemetery. They are Richard Henry Philippe  bur 12 Oct 1906 age 67 Eliza Mary nee Howells bur 21 Nov 1911 aged 73 (Richard’s wife) Bertrand Charles Philippe bur 19 Jun 1950 age 71 (son of Richard and Eliza) Violet […]

The Blood Red Days of the Golden West –

The Truth – Qld -10 January 1926, page 12 LIKE every other gold-rush in history, the outbreak of yellow-gold fever in Western Australia attracted many of the best, and a number of the worst, humans from far and wide. BUT it was not until the terrible hardships of the pioneers were known to have been […]

The Gaston Family – from Marjorie Burton nee York.

I was recently sent some interesting information and photographs on the Gaston family from Marjorie Burton nee York. Her Gt Grandfather was George Gaston. The Gastons originally came from South Australia and before that from Sussex, England. They were Charles Gaston and his wife Rebecca nee Burfield. Their son George Gaston and his wife Ann […]

The Matron and the Major – Nurse Annie Jones

In early 1896 Annie Jones from Bendigo Victoria was nursing in the Government hospital at Cue, Western Australia.  While she was recovering from a mild form of typhoid fever, word came by camel train that Mr. Magnus Maxton Calder, a member of the firm Calder & Co of Cue, was suffering from typhoid fever in […]