The below photograph is the ‘original’ Powell’s Boulder Block Hotel, Fimiston on the corner of Beel and Contention streets. In 1899 this building was demolished and the substantial building many of you will remember was built. The following article describes the ‘New’ hotel in the most glowing terms on opening night. Evening Star 22 August […]
The Man they Bathed in Beer
The Countryman 16th Oct 1958 – ARTHUR BENNETT. Bill Faahan’s name creeps into most stories of early Coolgardie days. Bill ran the Club Hotel, he was the town’s mayor in its heyday, and he was known to every prospector east of Southern Cross. One of his many yardmen was a runaway sailor from a ship […]
Elephant Advertising Beer
This is one of my favourite photos of an Elephant being used to advertise Swan Beer in Coolgardie, probably would have looked better on a bigger elephant, don’t you think?? This pic is from the Book ‘Gold and Liquid Gold’, Obsolete Breweries of the Western Australian Goldfields by Geoff Spiller.



