22nd April 1959 – Australia was shocked by the news that two men had lost their lives 500ft down a Broken Hill Mine. At the same time, the name of Mazza appeared in the obituary notices of the local press. Probably, it bore little significance to any but sorrowing friends and relatives, for few could […]
Harry ‘Tambo’ Taylor – Stockman of the Never Never
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 […]
Titanic Sinks – How the Goldfields Heard!!!
On the 14th April 1912, 103 yrs ago today the SS Titanic sank after hitting an iceberg. The following is a copy of the newspaper article from 16th April 1912 from the Kalgoorlie Miner and describes how the people of the Goldfields of Western Australia were first told of the tragedy. WHITE STAR LINER COLLIDES […]
Peter Dennis KAVANAGH – a ledgend in his time
Peter Dennis Kavanagh joined the Police Force when he was twenty-one. How he crushed the gold-stealing industry on the Golden Mile has now gone down in history. He was tutored by that wonderfully astute Excise Inspector – John Mitchell Christie. He was a born detective, keen and shrewd, with boundless energy. He was also a […]
The Great Unwashed Preserver of the Peace:
Constable JOLLY – Coolgardie, Western Australia 1909 Nick-named ‘The Great Unwashed Preserver of the Peace’ Constable Jolly blamed the scarcity of water for his economical use of it, which in turn, caused some dissatisfaction among his fellow police officers who finally planned to lure him to Silverthorne’s dam and push him in. This drastic step […]