Doyles Well – an oasis in the desert

DOYLES WELL – originally called – CUTMORE’S WELL. Located between Leonora and Agnew and near the Turkey and Wilson Creeks. A Wayside in and coaching stop. In 1903 there was a coach service from Leonora on three days a week. There were stockmen working for the stagecoach lines stationed there until at least about 1912. […]

Norseman – books and photographs

Norseman is a town on the edge of the places covered by the Outback Family History web site and blog. If you are interested in the history of the town and the surrounding area I would like to recommend the following three books. There may be others, but there are ones I have myself or […]

Mazzucchelli’s- The Beginning and End of an Era

MAZZUCCHELLI’S the Jewellers first opened its ‘golden’ doors in 1903 in Boulder, Western Australia under the partnership of watchmaker Matthew Mazzucchelli and jeweller Sam Downes. Matthew’s father, Joseph, an Italian from the village of Poschiavo in Switzerland, emigrated to Australia as a miner in 1859 during the Victorian gold rush. Matthew was born in 1876 […]

Brandon’s Fate – a tale of Darlot

Sun Kalgoorlie Sunday 16 March 1902 Brandon’s fate- A TALE OF DARLOT     By Pharisee. The eager, excited crowd which thronged the long dry stage to the Darlot diggings in the first blush of the new discovery, included Dick Brandon and his mate, Jimmy Spiggot. That dreary and water-less track skirting the edge of desolate […]

The Victoria Hotel – Coolgardie

VICTORIA HOTEL, Coolgardie. Corner of Hunt and Bayley Streets. (now a garage diagonally opposite Ben Priors Park) Built in 1895 and opened on the 1st July at a cost of £10,000, the Victoria Hotel was one of two brick buildings in the town. It consisted of 30 bedrooms, both double and single, with a broad […]