Kalgoorlie Western Argus 28 January 1908, page 20 STRUCK BY LIGHTNING. A Singular Experience There are probably few men who have been struck by lightning and have survived to tell the tale. One of them, if there are any others, is William Smith, from Kalgoorlie, who is depicted here as he appeared after his extraordinary […]
The Hash House Riot of Ford Street
The Sun Kalgoorlie 27 April 1902, page 1 DINNER AT DALTONS by Pharisee. In the boom days of Coolgardie an enterprising individual named Dalton ran a hash and doss house in Ford Street. The building was made of bush timber covered in with hessian, and was divided into three compartments -a dining room, a kitchen, […]
Jealousy and Dynamite and Unrequited Love in Boulder
Kalgoorlie Western Argus 2 June 1903, page 16 The Dynamite Outrage at Boulder. Arrest of Mrs Elizabeth Charnley A sensational development took place at noon on Thursday in connection with the dynamite explosion at the residence of Mr James Ferguson, telegraph operator, of Boulder, when Detective Walsh, of Kalgoorlie, with Detective McLernon and plainclothes constable […]
The Skeleton with the Initials C.D.H.: The Mystery of Christian Heitmann
In 1988, I was contacted by a lady called Elsie Heitmann. She was trying to find out what happened to one of her relatives who went missing in Western Australia from South Australia. All she had to go on was the following photo, which was supposedly taken in Coolgardie by photographer Roy Millar. The man […]
The Last Survivor of the “Ragged Thirteen” — Camel Billy Recalls the Wild Goldfields Days
Sunday Times 19 February 1939, page 6 Three Pioneers of the Goldfields Arrived in Perth Yesterday Ages Total 237 Years One is a survivor of ‘The Ragged Thirteen’ Three goldfields pioneers, whose combined ages total 237 years, arrived in Perth together yesterday morning by the Westland express for treatment at the Perth Hospital. They are: […]