The 1942 Boulder Bombings – By Peter Skehan

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BOULDER BOMBINGS” “GHASTLY TRAGEDY” “TERRIBLE SCENES OF SLAUGHTER” “FOURTEEN MURDERED” These are among the headlines which greeted the public after what could be described as this State’s largest multiple murder. The surprising thing about these horrific murders is the fact that they have receded into history without our current generation being aware of this devastating […]

Rampollini’s Piggery – Burra Rocks

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At the bottom of the wall of the Burra Rocks Dam, a large galvanised two-inch pipe protrudes. It is known that Benny Rampolini, an ex woodliner, had a piggery here in the 1970’s and he had about six pigs. The pipe was to provide water for the piggery. A stone wall had been constructed that […]

My Dearest Annie – The Missingham Letter ‘1’

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David Missingham was born in 1855 in Kiama New South Wales. He was a mining Engineer and Mayor of Charters Towers in 1893. In 1897 he traveled to Western Australia, arriving before his family. He sent many letters back to his wife Annie and their eight children. One of his children, Hal Missingham, was to […]

The Publican and The Pig – Coolgardie 1905

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‘The Sun’ – April 1905 Coolgardie  Paddy Murphy ran a ‘Shypoo’ (sly grog) ranch unbeknownst to the authorities. His establishment was always identified by Paddy’s favorite pet pig. Paddy could not read or write, nor could his wife Bridget. Their system of accounting didn’t apply the rules of double entry it answered all practical accounting […]

The Goat Lady – Hilda Jarvis

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Hilda Jarvis (Nee Jones)  ‘The Goat Lady’.  This is a photo of her taken in 1990 by Roger Garwood and features in his book ‘Off Like Flies’. I was lucky to meet both her and her son, George. Towards the end of her life, she had to move into town and lived at the ‘Little […]