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

Albert Bezzant – grave tales

Albert Ernest Bezzant was born in 1873 in Buninyong Victoria. He was the youngest son of Richard Bezzant (1830-1912) and Sarah nee Scott (1827-1905). Albert died at the age of 22yrs on 12 February 1895 in Coolgardie Western Australia. On his death registration, he is listed as a Miner and the cause of his death […]

Stephen Starr – Grave Tales

Kalgoorlie Western Argus – 28 September 1899, page 11 SUDDEN DEATH OF A KALGOORLIE HOTELKEEPER. At about half past 6 p.m. on Sunday Mr. Stephen William Alfred Starr, the lessee of the new Federal Hotel, at the top end of Hannan street, died from a complication of the bowels. His decease was quite unexpected, for […]

Armless Abraham

I am sure many of you will recognise this iconic photograph of an armless man called ‘Armless Abraham’ collecting wood with his goat cart. I have just been contacted by the Great Granddaughter of Thomas Abraham and this is what she tells me:- HISTORY OF THOMAS ABRAHAM From Lynne McMeekan – Thomas Abraham was my […]

Erlistoun – ghost towns

Where is Erlistoun??? Latitude 27″ 59′ 03″ S Longitude 122″ 20′ 25″ East Mt Margaret Goldfields. Located 71.5 km north of Laverton at Borodale Creek once known as Mistake Creek. Erlistoun usually referred to as ‘The Erlistoun’ was never gazetted as a townsite under the lands act, but was surveyed as a Business and Residential […]

A Challenging Land – by Ray Jackson

Here we have another ‘Bush Verse’ from the pen of Ray Jackson. You will have enjoyed his last poem, Camooweal Billabong, earlier this year. The following verse was entered in the Aust Bush Poets Assoc awards in Toodyay earlier this year and won 2nd in the Serious Division (novice). A Challenging LandThe raucous cry of […]