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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!

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

Desert Trials and Golden Chances: The Life of Gus Luck

21/06/2025 By Moya Sharp Leave a Comment

Sunday Times  – Perth – 20 July 1930, page 9 On the Golden Trail Guide to Carnegie in 1894 Gus Luck’s Early Goldfields Prospecting Experiences Early in November 1892, two gold hunters, Augustus Jules ‘Gus’ LUCK and his mate Jack BURNS, out on a prospecting expedition from Coolgardie, found themselves cursing their luck when their […]

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

Lawlers Golden Dawn: The East Murchison Gold Rush of the 1890s

07/06/2025 By Moya Sharp 8 Comments

LAWLERS Latitude 28° 05′ S Longitude 120° 31′ E The townsite of Lawlers is located in the eastern goldfields, about 992 km from Perth. It is also about 32 km from Leinster. Gold was discovered here in 1894 by Patrick J Lawler (“Paddy Lawler”), a prospector who was rewarded for his discovery in 1899. In […]

Filed Under: Books, People, Places & Towns, They were 1st Tagged With: Australian History, Cue, Darlot, Goldfields History, Lawlers, Western Australia

A Promise Kept: Retracing Carnegie’s Desert Odyssey

17/05/2025 By Moya Sharp 1 Comment

Kalgoorlie Miner 10th Jul 1996 When 69-year-old Perth man Dr William Peasley led his party of men and camels down the streets of Coolgardie, he was fulfilling a promise he made more than a decade ago to the nephew of explorer David Carnegie. In 1995, Dr Peasley visited the Carnegie home, Kinnaird Castle in Scotland […]

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

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