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Books on the History of the Western Australian Goldfields

Hundreds of books have been written on the Western Australian Goldfields. From reference books to fiction and most of all the stories of ordinary people doing extraordinary things in the quest for gold and the search for adventure. There are also many biographies and history books some on the broader subject of the history of the region and others on a specific subject or town. Outback Family History would like to review some of these that you may not have heard of and to tell you where they can be purchased if you would like your own copy. We also have a monthly book giveaway!

The Gate of Golden Hope –

27/06/2026 By Moya Sharp Leave a Comment

Western Mail Perth 25 December 1928, page 76 Micky O’Driscoll, or “Micky the Priest”, as he was known, humped his bluey disconsolately through the scrubby jam-tree thicket. Behind him, some ten miles lay the town . . . . Hell’s blessings on it! . . . where he had squandered two months’ wages in as […]

Filed Under: Books, People, Places & Towns, Ripping Yarns & Tragic Tales Tagged With: Australian History, Goldfields History, Western Australia

The Brewery on the Breakaway: Sandstone’s Beer-Making Marvel

20/06/2026 By Moya Sharp Leave a Comment

The Black Range Brewery, or the Breakaway Brewery as it was also known, began trading in August of 1907 with the proprietor as Joseph Vincent Kearney, an Irishman born in 1873 at Ballymoon, Co Carlow, Ireland. The manager was Michael ‘Mick’ Dempsey. It was located on the Maninga Marley Road, 4.8 kilometres from Sandstone. What […]

Filed Under: Books, People, Places & Towns, Ripping Yarns & Tragic Tales Tagged With: Australian History, Beer, Goldfields History, Sandstone, Western Australia

The Grand Hotel of a Forgotten Goldfield

13/06/2026 By Moya Sharp Leave a Comment

When driving to Perth from Kalgoorlie, you may have seen a sign on the left not long after the Yellowdine Road House and before Moorine Rock, directing you to Mt Palmer. But have you ever ventured there ??? In 1935 it was thought that Palmers Find (AKA Mt Palmer), 23 miles from Southern Cross, would […]

Filed Under: Books, Places & Towns Tagged With: Australian History, Goldfields History, Hotels, Palmers Find, Western Australia, Yellowdine. Mt Palmer

From Distant Shores to Eternal Rest: The Love of Ante and Petrica

04/04/2026 By Moya Sharp Leave a Comment

The following story is an extract with kind permission from ‘For a Better Life, Yugoslavs on the Goldfields of Western Australia 1890-1970 by Dr Criena Fitzgerald. One of the most tragic love stories was that of Ante Mateljan and Petrica Mikovic (Micovich). Luka Markovich, a friend of Ante Mateljan, brought Petrica’s photograph back to Kalgoorlie […]

Filed Under: Books, Grave Tales, People Tagged With: Australian History, Goldfields History, Gwalia, Western Australia

Darlot – Centenary Celebrations 1994

24/01/2026 By Moya Sharp 1 Comment

Former residents of the abandoned townsite of Darlot, 130 km north of Leonora, returned to celebrate the town’s centenary in December 1994. Darlot gold mine manager, David Hatch, said that the earliest known Darlot Mining tenement was registered on December 3 1894. This is the date to mark the town’s centenary. Plutonic Resources, which runs […]

Filed Under: Books, Places & Towns, Schools Tagged With: Australian History, Darlot, Goldfields History, Western Australia

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