G H Rainsford Auctioneers, 37 Burt Street, Boulder next to the Hocking and Co Building. The site is now a park.
George Henry Rainsford was a well-known figure around Kalgoorlie Boulder for over 30 years. He was a Councillor on the Boulder Council for 10yrs and then served for 6yrs as Mayor of that City. He was then appointed to the Kalgoorlie Council in 1932.
As well as his Municipal duties he carried our a thriving Auctioneering business. The above photo shows him standing next to his car outside his business premises. The car is loaded up for a trip to Esperance.
His wife, Ruth Saul Rainsford, sadly passed away in 1939, and George followed her a year later.
Kalgoorlie Miner 24 Feb 1939
They are both buried in a grave together in the Boulder Cemetery with their 11 month old child, Frederick Charles, who died in 1912. It is surprising that for someone with family and who was such a public figure that he has no headstone of any sort. His other children were Jack, Jean George and Thomas.
Kalgoorlie Miner (WA : 1895 – 1950), Wednesday 17 April 1940, page 4
G H RAINSFORD PASSES – LONG CIVIC CAREER ENDED
Universal regret was expressed yesterday when it was learned that Mr George Henry Rainsford had suddenly passed away -in the early hours of yesterday morning at his home in (Boulder. The late Cr. Rainsford, who was 67yrs of age. Had been actively associated with local governing affairs on the goldfields for 23 years. For nine years he was a member of the Boulder Municipal Council and after that was mayor for six years. For the past eight years he has been a member of the Kalgoorlie council. He was keenly interested in all matters appertaining to the welfare of the goldfields and was really responsible for the decision of the Workers’ Homes Board to erect homes here. It was at Cr. Rainsford’s instigation that an agitation was instituted which resulted in the board deciding to extend its operations to the goldfields. Cr. Rainsford essayed political honors on various occasions and was, for a short time, representative of the South Province in the Legislative Council. His wife passed away last year and he leaves one married daughter and two sons to mourn their loss
Kalgoorlie Miner 20 Apr 1940
George Henry Rainsford
Mayor of Boulder 1922 – 1928 : Auctioneer and Land Agent
George Rainsford came to Western Australia from Dublin, Ireland and arrived on the Goldfields around 1908. As an auctioneer in Boulder for many years, Rainsford acquired Pell & Co in 1924, a company that had been on the Goldfields since 1890’s.
A member of the Loyal Orange Lodge, Rainsford was elected Mayor in 1922 where he had served already for ten years as a Councillor. For a short time, at the end of his Mayoral term, he entered state politics as MLC for South Provence in 1928. When he was elected in February 1928 it was due to a by election and he never took his seat in Parliament as it was in recess. In May of the same year he lost his seat in the state election.
From 1933 until his death in 1940 Rainsford served on the Kalgoorlie Town Council.
George Henry Rainsford
Moya Sharp
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Nice article Moya a good read