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You are here: Home / Books / Lawlers Update – book review

Lawlers Update – book review

03/09/2017 By Moya Sharp 11 Comments

This book is a rare publication and  is very hard to find. It was written by Lyn Hatch to celebrate the centenary of the town of Lawlers. The book was published by Plutonic mining who also published a book on Darlot.

100years  – Lawlers 1895 to 1996 – A tribute to past and present pioneers by Lyn Hatch published by –  Plutonic Mining in 1995

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 following are some of the photographs from the book which are featured on the ‘Lawlers’ page on the Outback Family History web site.

Lawlers Townsite 1910

Routledge, Morris and Willis Butchers, Lawlers.

Lawlers State School 1919

Back Row:- L-R – Albert CHAMPION, Don MAUND, Harry MAUND, Dorothy SMITH, Con FINCH,
Mike FINCH,   ???CHAMPION,
Second Row:- Eunice SMITH, Ethel PHILLIPS, Larry POOLE, Gladys SHIEL, May BRANSON.
Front Row:-  ????, Albert LYNCH, Bob PHILLIPS, Des SMITH, ????, Kevin McPHERSON
Teacher:- Mr Keith McKEE photo – Mrs E McMeeken

Lawlers School 1925

Back Row:- Robert KING, George KING, Mildred MUTTON, Eileen LINANE, Harry KING,
Mr Hugh ENSOR (Teacher), Connie MaCPHERSON, Bell KING.
Front Row:- Nellie MacPHERSON, Harold KING, Jean WHITE, Ronald SHIEL, Grace KING, George BRANSON, Noni MacPHERSON, Bonnie ROBINSON and Walter ROBINSON – photo Eunice Martin

The book also has quite a few other photographs and information on the history of the town and its people. I have tried to locate a copy in the library system without any luck.
The ISBN is 0-646-25279-8

As well as stories and photograph it also lists the cemetery entries, police who served there the and short stories on various mines in the area.
More Lawlers updates to follow.

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Moya Sharp

Owner at Outback Family History
My name is Moya Sharp, I live in Kalgoorlie Western Australia and have worked most of my adult life in the history/museum industry. I have been passionate about history for as long as I can remember and in particular the history of my adopted home the Eastern Goldfields of Western Australia. Through my website I am committed to providing as many records and photographs free to any one who is interested in the family and local history of the region.
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Filed Under: Books, People, Towns and Places Tagged With: Australian History, Goldfields History, Lawlers, Western Australia

Comments

  1. Gloria Wylie says

    10/09/2017 at 7:18 am

    Where can I buy Lynn Hatchs book on Darlot please My Uncle worked there for years I will buy anything I can on Darlot

    Reply
    • Moya Sharp says

      15/09/2017 at 12:58 pm

      Hi Gloria This book is very hard to find, you could try the following two wed sites which I often have luck with:- http://www.addall.com or http://www.abebooks.com
      If you have no luck I am happy to photocopy mine for you!

      Reply
  2. Steve Nicholls says

    14/09/2017 at 1:32 am

    My grandmother (Florence “Flossie” Grigg) was born in Lawlers in 1901 and was still living there in 1909. So, she is likely to be one of the children in this picture.

    Reply
    • Steve Nicholls says

      14/09/2017 at 1:36 am

      Just seen that although the photo filename states 1909, the caption states 1919. So, it won’t include my Nan as she moved to UK in 1914.

      Reply
      • Moya Sharp says

        15/09/2017 at 1:15 pm

        Hi Steve Just checked the book and it deff says 1919. My mistake putting 1909

        Reply
  3. Fleur Bugarin says

    04/08/2018 at 10:50 am

    Hello Moya,

    Just wondering if and where I would be able to get a hold of this book as my father lived in Lawlers as a young person. He was born in Cue and moved to Big Bell and subsequently moved to Lawlers. I am trying to follow some of his history.

    Kind regards Fleur.

    Reply
    • Moya Sharp says

      04/08/2018 at 12:04 pm

      Dear Fleur Im afraid that these books are very hard to come by. They were produced by the mining company as a PR excercise and were never actually sold just give away to clients. If you just wanted to read it I am sure you will be able to ordert on through your local library loan. This is the ISBN number:- 0-646-25279-8 if all else fails I could photocopy my copy for you. There is not a great deal on Lawlers unfortuantley. Bye for now Moya

      Reply
  4. Joy says

    30/03/2023 at 9:55 am

    Hello Moya
    Just looking at the 1919 school photo of Lawlers the 2nd row you have a Larry Poole is that a typo because it definitely looks like a girl with pigtails in a black dress., in fact the whole row are girls. Just checking as elderly friend who I am doing a tree for a had cousin called Lillian Louisa Poole who would have gone to school around about that year and her father Harry Poole worked in the mines there at that time with his father inlaw Jonathaon Charles Richards who is buried in Lawlers Cemetery, love your work very helpful for people researching their trees.
    Regards
    Joy Mikulandra

    Reply
    • Moya Sharp says

      30/03/2023 at 4:01 pm

      Hi Joy I got the Lawlers book out and checked the name they give for this photo. It does indeed say ‘Larry’. I wonder if this could be a nickname for Lillian Louisa. Either this or it is indeed an error but I can’t say for sure.

      Reply
  5. Lorraine says

    12/08/2025 at 8:21 am

    Thanks for sharing, half the school were Kings 😊 Nice to have a photo of my grandad’s family so young

    Reply
  6. Lorraine says

    12/08/2025 at 8:53 am

    I have found a photocopy of a book, probably the book you’re referring to, in Norma King’s materials with the school buildings. The school building was purchased for £36 in Oct 1931 by Noel White of Leinster Downs Station. Nothing wasted in those days.

    Reply

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