The people of the Goldfields

The Goldfields of Western Australia was and still is made up of many people, from poets to politicians, from saints and sinners and everything in between. I hope to tell you the stories of some of these people either famous or infamous or just the ordinary folks. Sometime the most ordinary people do the most extraordinry things

Darlot Update – the cemetery

24/08/2017 By Moya Sharp 3 Comments

Following up from the recent post on Darlot I would like to now add the cemetery details which will be also on the Outback Family History page for Darlot:- “The exodus out East has been attended by sad results to at least seven of the hardy pioneers. Among those who have fallen victim to the […]

Gwalia Tragedy – murder at the two up!

23/08/2017 By Moya Sharp Leave a Comment

Sunday Times (Perth, WA : 1902 – 1954), Sunday 30 December 1906, page 5 The “Sunday Times” had a visit last week from the brother of the late James Reilly, killed by Joseph Higgins at Gwalia on September 4 1906. The particulars of the case must be fresh in our readers’ minds. Reilly tried to […]

Leonora Snapshot – death from despair

22/08/2017 By Moya Sharp 1 Comment

This is the second snapshot of biographies from the Leonora Cemetery. As in the previous post it covers from 1902 to early 1911. In this time there were 12 suicides:- Suicide was quite a common thing in the early days on the goldfields. Men, and a few women, who find themselves in a state of […]

Hugh McKittrick – a family’s story

22/08/2017 By Moya Sharp Leave a Comment

Hugh McKittrick 22nd August 1868 – 13th May 1903 By Cheryl Benson:- gbenson@iinet.net.au Hugh McKittrick was born or baptised on the 22nd August 1868 in County Louth, Ireland. He was the son of Hugh McKittrick and Ellen Brennan. Ellen Brennan was the daughter of Michael Brennan and Rose Mallon. Patrick snr was Hugh’s uncle […]

Leonora Snapshot – all the little children

20/08/2017 By Moya Sharp 8 Comments

I have just completed my first batch of biographies on the people who are buried in the Leonora Cemetery. Every cemetery provides a social and family history snapshot of the town where its located. Accident and disease show no favorites. I hope that this small section of deaths will provide a good example to compare […]