Queen Victoria is Dead

On the 22nd of January 1901, 121 years ago, Queen Victoria died. This is how the Goldfields heard and what happened. From the Western Argus 29th January 1901 pg 9

Queen Victoria

THE DEAD SOVEREIGN
HONOURED
AT KALGOORLIE

Directly it was made known to the people of Kalgoorlie that the worst fears regarding Queen Victoria had been realised and that the beloved and honoured sovereign had passed away, the public offices and all private places of business were closed. At the same time, all the fire brigade and church bells were tolled for the dead. Flags were flown at half-mast on all sides and the fronts of shops were to a large extent draped with crepe and black cloth.

The council chambers were too draped in this way. The only police court held was an adjournment which was made to the next day and a couple of cases that required immediate attention were dealt with. A large number of Kalgoorlie citizens wore bands of black crepe for the rest of the day and public entertainment billed for that night was adjourned sine di.  The full article can be read at:- http://bit.ly/1PKGsq1

Queen Victoria’s Funeral

DID YOU KNOW? – The move to separate the Western Australian Goldfields from the colony of Western Australia resulted in a petition which contained the signatures of thousands of residents. When unrolled it stretched for more than 2.2 km.
The Separation Movement prepared a case to be presented to Queen Victoria which contained a map setting out the boundaries for the proposed new colony of ‘Auralia’. It was printed in 1900 as Petition to Her Majesty the Queen from persons residing on the Eastern Goldfields, together with a refutation of the statements made in the petition, by Sir John Forrest, but was never presented to the Queen by the Governor of Western Australia.

Who knows, if Queen Victoria had lived a little longer, the petition may have been presented to her and the Goldfields could have been a separate state. Not too sure if I like the proposed name of ‘Aurelia’ though, what do you think??

Proposed new state – boundaries from Petition to Her Majesty from persons residing on the Eastern Goldfields (1900). Battye Library

The wording of the petition can be read at- http://bit.ly/1JrvWYd

Separation for Federation Petition, Kalgoorlie

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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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