LAWLERS
Latitude 28° 05′ S Longitude 120° 31′ E
The townsite of Lawlers is located in the eastern goldfields, about 992 km from Perth. It is also about 32 km from Leinster. Gold was discovered here in 1894 by Patrick J Lawler (“Paddy Lawler”), a prospector who was rewarded for his discovery in 1899. In 1896 the Government decided to survey a townsite at Lawlers, the land being surveyed in April and the townsite was gazetted later that year.
The West Australian East Murchison goldfields of the 1890s was a dry and inhospitable place. Far from any kind of civilisation, unbelievably hot in the summer and dry as dust all year round. The trackless wilderness around what was to become Lawlers and Agnew first felt the tread of hob-nailed boots in the year of 1892. Ned Heffernan, Julius Anderson and Charles Hall set off in an easterly direction from Cue in November 1892. With summer already making itself felt, it must have been a trip of great danger and trial, yet these hardy independent souls travelled two hundred and forty miles each way on their exploratory trip through a hostile and unknown wilderness. It was only on their return leg that they found traces of gold in the area soon to be known as Lawlers.
Main Street, Lawlers 1903 – Photo SLWA
Charles Hall, one of the original Heffernan party, with William Rutter and others, also made a trip to the east of Cue. William Rutter (40 yrs) died on this trip, and his grave is a short distance east of Cosmo Newbery. In 1894, Patrick Lawler got together another party of prospectors, Gibson, Moses, Nevin and Donnelly, all prospectors of note. Arriving at Lame Horse Creek, they found a good deal of alluvial gold which was easily gathered. Cleaning up all the alluvial, they then pegged the source and named it ‘Donegal Reef’. Gibson soon after pegged the Great Eastern a couple of miles to the northeast of the Donegal.
Lawlers Hospital 1922 – Photo SLWA
With a new field in unknown country, a rush was soon underway, but it was no easy trip. It was over 300 kilometres from Cue to Lawlers through the driest of country. One waterless section was about one hundred kilometres long. It took fortitude and courage, not to mention the lure of great riches, to even contemplate a trip as hazardous as that three hundred kilometres out into the largely unknown East Murchison, and once there was little water, with the only supply nearly fifteen kilometres back along the track at Scotties Soak.
A feat of endurance for even these hard prospectors.
Hospital Committee and staff, with dog, Lawlers, Sept. 1899, The lady on the left i Annie Mansbridge (nee Jones) – Photo SLWA
There soon followed a great influx of prospectors and miners to the region, which saw new finds such as ‘The Darlot’ and many other smaller shows. It was on the 28th of June 1895 that the East Murchison Goldfield was declared and a Mining Warden appointed. Mr. A.C. Clifton was the first Warden in Lawlers, arriving after an arduous journey by camel from Coolgardie. Water was so scarce on the track that the camels had to go three days without water.
Lawlers Roads Board Picnic 1906 – Photo SLWA
In the spring of 1895, Tom Cue, David Ogilvie, and J Hunter set out from Cue for Lawlers. By now, the track had several wells, mostly about a day’s travel apart, and the track was well worn. Cue drove his trap loaded with supplies and tools while his partners rode. In contrast to conditions of only a year before, it was an easy and relatively safe trip. By October that year, Cue and his party had filed a claim about ten kilometres north of Lawlers, which they called ‘The Woronga’ (ML58). The area quickly became known as Cue’s Patch and produced a good deal of alluvial gold. Almost immediately, others took up claims around Cue’s party. The combined area of reef mine claims became known as the Ogilvie Group.
With the in rush of miners, Lawlers and Cue’s Patch soon had links with the outside world. A bicycle courier service between Coolgardie and Lawlers could cover well over a hundred kilometres a day, following sand and ironstone-covered tracks that wound through a wilderness where only the hardy survived. The tough-as-boot-leather riders of their steel steeds were soon followed by a camel service from Cue, then a coach run from Mt. Magnet.
In 1897, the telegraph brought the world to Lawlers and Lawlers to the world.
Official staff of the East Murchison United Gold Mine, Lawlers 1899 – 2nd from the left in the back row is Charles Christopher ZENNER – I wonder why they have tennis rackets? – Photo SLWA
Over the next few years, Lawlers and Cues Patch went ahead in leaps and bounds. New mines opened up, and some proved to be big producers, but these mines were scattered over a wide area, and each would have had to install its own stamp battery had it not been for the ingenious tram line system.
The London and Western Australian Exploration Company became active in Lawlers in 1895 and bought up several of the better mines. Among them, Lawlers Donegal, the True Blue and Gibson’s Great Eastern. They quickly amassed a total of 117 acres of very productive mining leases that became known collectively as the East Murchison United Limited (E.M.U.) under the management of London-based Bewick Moreing and Co. In 1896, E.M.U. brought in the first crushing plant, a ten-head stamp battery and winding gear, installing it at the Great Eastern. To feed the ten-head battery E.M.U. built the first section of the tramway in 1901 to haul ore from their Donegal lease. The engine was only small, weighing in at around six tons and could haul several carriages at speeds up to ten miles an hour.
Fremery family home at Lawlers – 1896 – Photo WA Museum
The family depicted in the above photograph are the great-grandparents of Glenda Slan. She kindly gave me the following information: This photograph is of my great-grandparents, Louis FREMERY and Mary, nee GILLANDERS. The baby is my grandmother Annie Lawlers FREMERY (she was the first white child born in Lawlers, hence her middle name). The little girl with her doll and dog is Edith Mary, born in Perth, WA, in 1894. The Fremery Family Story.
Lawlers Bakery and A E Baxter’s general store, 1900 – Photo from Sally Bell and Caitlin Eaton.
The Lawlers townsite was named after Patrick Lawler, who found the first gold in the nearby Lame Horse Creek, but Agnew was another matter. Tom Cue, whom the town of Cue was named after, could hardly have another town named after him, despite the Woronga mine being locally known as Cue’s Patch for some years. It wasn’t until the postal department insisted on a name that the name Agnew was settled on. Mr. J.A. Agnew was an employee of Bewick Moreing. He was born in New Zealand in 1874, and in 1901 he was the manager of Sons Of Gwalia Mine at Leonora and then the Manager of the Golden Age Mine, Wiluna in 1904, W.A., Manager of Bewick Moreing from 1907-12 and Vice President of the Chamber of Mines, Kalgoorlie.
Today, there is little evidence of this booming mining town of yesteryear. Lawler’s has only the old police station still standing. Agnew has a few houses and the Agnew Hotel, but little else. It is hard to see where a once-thriving town and all its occupants once lived and worked. The Lawlers cemeterr is a must for anyone interested in the history of the town, and an excellent list of those interred, the reason for their death, and other details, stands just inside the gate. Each grave is numbered to make it easy to find each of those listed on the board. This makes for fascinating reading, and at least an hour can be spent here.
one of the loneliest of God’s Acres.
Lawlers and Agnew ghost towns are fascinating places to explore. You can trace the old tram lines across the country, visit the cemetery and the bottle dump, view the old stamp batteries and other artifacts across the road from the Agnew Hotel and drive to the top of Agnew Bluff just out of Agnew for a breathtaking view of this incredible country. Have you been there?
Recommended Reading – Agnew, by Alex Palmer: Available from Hesperian Press or The Eastern Goldfields Historical Soc
Leave a Tip!
If you would like to support my work sharing stories of the Western Australian Goldfields, a small tip – starting at just $2 – would mean a great deal. You're welcome to give more if you feel inclined.
Every contribution, no matter the amount, helps me continue researching and preserving these important stories for future generations. Your generosity supports the ongoing costs of running the website. Thank you so much.
Visit our Why Donate page for more information and to make a donation.
Moya Sharp
Latest posts by Moya Sharp (see all)
- Gold and Grit: The Shelley Family’s Legacy in Western Australia - 14/06/2025
- The Passing of Jones – - 14/06/2025
- Gold Rush Days in the Kimberley - 14/06/2025
Brilliant Reading I read most of your post’s, all of them very interesting.
Well done.
I’m glad you enjoy them Brian
The name of the women on the Hospital Committee image is not Annie Wilson, it’s Annie Mansbridge (nee Jones), my husbands Great-Grandmother.
Sorry Karina, my mistak, all fixed now.
Oh, and I love reading your posts. Cheers, – Karina
So glad you enjoy them Karina