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BULONG – or the I.O.U

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Bulong Post Office

Bulong Post Office – Photo SLWA

Excerpts from an interesting account of the early days of Bulong which appeared  in the Kalgoorlie Miner newspaper Monday 16th June 1952

Bulong, situated about 20 miles east of Kalgoorlie and 15 miles south east of Kanowna, was active from about 1893 to 1908 with various deep leads and alluvial workings, which by 1900 had produced 17,500 ounces of gold.  There are various accounts of who and when , the first gold was actually found at Bulong. One version says May 1894, Arthur Reid in his book “Those Were the Days” says January 1894 but  Jules Raeside in his book “Golden Days” says that an Aboriginal man called Tiger found the first gold –  Tiger was working for Smith and Jack Moher.

From Mines Dept records it shows that in November 1893 a group of prospectors, Kennedy, Hogan, Turnbull, Henry and Holmes were granted a lease which was called the I.O.U. – which gave the area the name I.O.U  – later in about 1895 the name Bulong was starting to be used.

The Bulong townsite was gazetted in 1895 and by 1900 had a population of 620 plus many thousands of prospectors and miners in the surrounding district. The centre become the principal township of the North East Coolgardie Goldfields and was the centre for the transaction of Government business with a wardens court, police court etc. There were six hotels and three stores, mechanics institute, town hall, the government hospital and various churches.

Bulong Hotel 1922

Bulong Hotel 1922 – Photo SLWA

There was also the I.O.U.Brewery. A steam locomotive on a narrow gauge railway was used to transport ore from the Last Chance mine to a battery on the shores of Lake Yundarlgooda: it is alleged that this may have been the first railway used in this way on the Eastern Goldfields. In the early times water was drawn from Lake Yundarlgooda, condensed on the side of the lake, and pumped to the top of Mt Stuart, whence it was piped through the streets of the town.

Natural bush and timber surrounding the town were preserved, giving the place a rural appearance, somewhat at variance with the more or less common rule for many outback mining towns.

In common with other goldfields centres,  Bulong had its share of interesting personalities. One of them was the ‘Mayor of Taurus’

The ex- Mayor of Taurus.’— Mounted Constable Hawes brought in the body to the Kalgoorlie Morgue of a man named ‘Jack’ Robinson, from the Bulong district Robinson was found
dead in his camp at Taurus. He had followed the occupations of wood cutter and dry blower for over a score of years in the neighborhood of Bulong. He was generally known under the sobriquet of the ‘ex-Mayor of Taurus’ he having on occasions set up claims to the civic magistracy of that salubrious locality in opposition to the identity who was called the ‘Mayor of Taurus’ before his departure for the Nor’-West It is stated that the deceased, who had reached the age of 58 years, arrived in Australia from Dublin 40 years ago, and that he has no known living relatives. Dr. S. Mathews has been asked to make a post-mortem examination of the remains.
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Moya Sharp

Owner at Outback Family History
My name is Moya Sharp, I live in Kalgoorlie Western Australia and have worked most of my adult life in the history/museum industry. I have been passionate about history for as long as I can remember and in particular the history of my adopted home the Eastern Goldfields of Western Australia. Through my website I am committed to providing as many records and photographs free to any one who is interested in the family and local history of the region.

Comments

  1. David Jessup says

    Hi Moya,
    Your post on Bulong interests me.
    I have been trying to trace what became of my Great Grandfather’s (Benjamin Jessup/Jessop)) brother William (Jessup/Jessop)
    Both were convicted of burglary in the UK and received a sentence of 15 years and transported
    to WA in 1857.
    Benjamin settled and died in Northam and there is some evidence that Wiiliam did also.
    I have a reference to William at Bulong which I believe was a locality of was the name of a homestead or property in the Northam area.
    I have many references to Benjamin in Northam and a gravesite and Death Certificate for him.
    For William I have been unable to locate a death certificate or gravesite. He seems to have disappeared.
    Reading your post on Bulong near Kalgoorlie I wonder if this is the locality/address that was referred to for William.
    Do you have any information on the inhabitants of Bulong and or the cemetary where they would have been buried.
    I would love to know what became of William.
    Regards
    David Jessup

    Reply

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