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A Woman of the Black Range: The Troubled Life of Florence Menon

01/11/2025 By Moya Sharp 1 Comment

Run to Earth at Barambie: The Arrest of Florence Menon, 1906 Among the many stories that emerged from the remote settlements of the Western Australian Goldfields, few capture the character of the era quite like that of Florence Menon. In the days when sly grog shanties dotted the bush and the police waged a constant […]

Filed Under: People, Places & Towns, Ripping Yarns & Tragic Tales Tagged With: Australian History, Black Range, Boulder Cemetery, Cemeteries, Goldfields History, Sandstone, Western Australia

Goldfields Without Chrysanthemums – by Catherine Bond

18/10/2025 By Moya Sharp Leave a Comment

In the late 1800s and early 1900’s it was popular for travellers to keep a travel diary to record the day-to-day happenings of the places and things they did on their journeys. It does seem to have been more popular with women, and many diaries have gone on to be published. This gives us a […]

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

The Fatal Errand of Young Wallace Cocking

11/10/2025 By Moya Sharp Leave a Comment

From the Kalgoorlie Miner, 27th Jan 1921 News was received today from Menzies of a sad fatality which occurred at Mulline between Friday and Saturday. Wallace David Cocking, 11 years of age and son of Mr Joseph Sylvester Cocking, sandalwood contractor, was sent at 5am on Friday with an urgent message to his father. Mr […]

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

Harry ‘Tambo’ Taylor – Stockman of the Never Never

11/10/2025 By Moya Sharp 1 Comment

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 […]

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

Camel Boots and a Lesson on Butter –

04/10/2025 By Moya Sharp Leave a Comment

Western Mail 29 August 1940, page 9 A Hot Ride to Darlot The summer of 1895 stands out in my memory as a very hot one. We had sold our claim at Darlot, and our party of five were splitting up. Two had gone to the coast for a holiday. Bill and I had bought […]

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

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