On the 19th May 1924, Harry ‘Tambo ’Taylor applied to receive the old-age pension having reached the age of 65 years. His application was refused as he couldn’t show proof of his age. Harry was born to an Aboriginal mother and an Irish father on the Glenalvon Station, NSW, in 1859. He had his mother’s […]
First Mayor of Coolgardie – James Shaw
James Shaw was born in 1846 in Belfast, Ireland. His father was Hugh Shaw, an engineer, and his mother was Margaret. They married in Victoria. In 1864, at the age of 18, James Shaw sailed to Auckland, New Zealand, where he started a most successful contracting business. He also won a service medal for fighting […]
Dan Shea – Discovered Gold With Paddy Hannan
Memorial headstone in memory of prospector Dan Shea, who discovered gold with Paddy Hannan in Kalgoorlie. Dan Shea was born in County Cork, Ireland, and emigrated in 1868 to prospect on the goldfields of Australia and New Zealand. He teamed up with Paddy Hannan and Tom Flanagan, and the three prospectors worked together to prospect […]
Phillip Edward VOWELS – Goldfields Hero
Lt. Philip Edward Michael VOWELS (KIA) 11th May 1918 aged 27 years, Born in 1890 in Horsham, VIC (23994), 11th Battalion(Infantry) Military Cross and bar to Military Cross. He was the son of William Henry VOWELS and Bridget Maria (Whelan), who came over to Cioolgardie, Western Australia, in the late 1890s. He is acknowledged in […]
George GAYFORD, Prospector – grave tales
This is a photograph of George Gayford, a prospector, taken about 1935 in Wilina. He died the same year as this photo was taken. He is buried in the Wiluna Cemetery. I have always thought this image captures the hard life of the prospector in the early days. How tough must he have been to […]