The Old Coolgardie Road – a verse

A FLITTING shadow follows The rushing night express; Dawn shades the eastern hollows And wakes the wilderness. And there across the valley One fleeting moment showed, Between the clump of mallee, The old Coolgardie road! No clouds of dust betoken The old-time roaring days; It keeps a peace unbroken Throughout its winding ways. But when […]

Ernest Giles – grave tales

The Australian explorer Ernest Giles (1835-1897) was the first man to cross the desert wilderness between central and western Australia both ways. The Australian explorer Ernest Giles (1835-1897) was the first man to cross the desert wilderness between central and western Australia both ways. Ernest Giles was born in Bristol, England, on July 20, 1835, […]

The Globe Hotel – Coolgardie hotels 2

The Globe Hotel was situated between Ford and Hunt Streets Coolgardie. There is no known photograph of the building which has survived. W M Faahan was the first owner and claimed it to be the first hotel in Coolgardie. In 1895 it was known as, Alec Caro’s Wine and Beer Saloon, three months later, when […]

Goldfields Courier and Golden Age -newspapers

The Goldfields Courier (Weekly) and the Golden Age (Daily) were two Coolgardie newspapers that ran from 1894 -1898. The following photograph shows their offices in Bayley Street, Coolgardie in 1895. Although this is well-known photograph it holds a wealth of other details if looked at closely. Offices of the Goldfields Courier and the Golden Age […]

Pitchford’s Hairdressing Saloon: Coolgardie

These are interesting photographs, as it is unusual to see the inside of buildings. The original store was destroyed in the 1897 fire and this building replaced it. Interior of R Pitchford’s Exchange Hairdressing Saloon, in the Exchange Building, Coolgardie 1895. This is the interior of the original saloon which was destroyed by fire in 1897.