I have often mentioned, the regular occurrence, of what you may call ‘synchronicity’ where two related things come together for no apparent reason. It seems to happen with amazing regularity and I have lost count on how many time I have received an enquiry on a particular person or place only to have another person get in touch about the same subject. The following story is just one more to add to my list.
Outback Family History readers, who follow on Facebook, may remember the details of this post. I have been recently corresponding with the Shire of Westonia about their cemetery records. I uploaded some info and photographs to the new page on the OFH website for ‘Westonia’. The following day I received an email from Ray Morris, who sent me a collection of family photos on the town of Westonia (near Southern Cross), and also of his Gt Uncle, Alf Weston, who was one of the founders of Westonia. I presumed he had seen my post and this had prompted him to write, as up until then I didn’t even have Westonia on the OFH web site. However this was not the case:-
Among the photos he emailed, was one in particular with Ernest Weston (Alf’s Brother), and other family members standing in front of an imposing doorway. He said he was really keen to find the location of the building this doorway was from, and asked for my help. He thought it was Kalgoorlie. I posted the photo on the OFH Facebook page and many people commented and suggested different places, all to no avail. So there it was left. It was lovely to have some more photographs of Westonia and to know more about its founder. This is the photograph he sent:-
Ron & Jack Weston are squatting at the front of this photo.Rear right is Ernest Joseph WESTON, he was the younger brother of Alfred David WESTON who discovered Westonia.
Then a couple of weeks later I received an email from local reader, Peter Green, who is a member of the Vintage Car Club of Queensland and who had seen, in their latest journal, a story about Gwalia and thought it would be of interest to me. After thanking Peter for sending this article I asked if he was a member of that society and he told me he was and had just returned from a 3 month caravan trip when he visited an old army mate and his wife , Bob and Kath, Kath said that her Grandfather had built the Moorine Rock Ho attel (on the way to Perth) and run it for some time. Peter was able to get copies of photographs she had of her fathers time there and he asked if I would like to see them. As I’m always on the look out for new hotel pictures, I was very pleased to see them, particularly when one picture caught my eye. See Below:-
That door again, The fellow on the far left may be the well know prospector Gus Luck (but thats another story)
So what are the chances of two people who are unknown to each other both sending a photo to the same person of the same doorway within two weeks??? So I contacted them both and put them in touch with one another. After comparing notes it turns out that Peter used to live in Westonia and his father had known Rays Gt Grandfather Alf Weston and his stepson, Tom Evans, who many will have heard of. At this rate Peter and Ray are going to end up related. (:
Anyway the ‘Door’ has been narrowed down to the Moorine Rock Hotel or the Westonia Tavern (formerly the Edna May Hotel) Peters friend Kath, has given me permission to upload the other photos which I will do soon in another post, as they are amazing. I will keep you posted.!!!!
Moya Sharp
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Thank you for looking into this. Just amazing how 2 worlds can meet. One of the gentleman crouching down in your first photo is my grandfather Jack Weston. I have also met his brother Uncle Ron Weston. My grandmother on my mums side was named after the Edna May mine! Very small world.