Coolgardie – The Hall Family,early days

The following collection of photographs are reproduced with the kind permission of Marshall Hall and Family. In his words:- ‘Charles FitzJohn Hall was the main produce merchant in Coolgardie from 1896-1918. Prior to this he made his money in gold diggings. He saw the need to supply the fields with goods and produce and he […]

The Murder of May Wain – grave tales

A Tragedy Recalled !!! The Six Mile Murder   –   by Clara Patton Crimes against women of any kind were very rare on the Goldfields of Western Australia. The prospecting community respected and valued women and welcomed their presence. It was therefor, a terrible shock to the community  when it was made known that […]

Coolgardie Pioneer Cemetery

Southern Cross Times  3 October 1903, page 2 THE OLD COOLGARDIE CEMETERY.—There are 33 graves in the old cemetery where the ceremony of unveiling a tablet took place (says the “Coolgardie Miner”). Of these the names of only six of those whose bodies were interred there are known. Most of the burials in fact nearly […]

The Hahnel Family – by Davina Dodds

Charles Bernhardt Hahnel was born in Chemnitz, Saxony, Germany in 1866 to Parents Charles August Hahnel and Theresa Schmidt.  Charles came to Australia in 1886, boarding the ship Salier in Antwerp, Belgium. Charles was 20 at this time. On the sixth of December 1890, Charles married Hannah Gribble (born Maryborough 1871) in Timor Victoria. His […]

Coolgardie Justice – 1921

A contributor to the “Justice of the Peace” who states that he “was present both at the investigation and also at the Court, ” writes under date of August 17, 1921 as follows:- ….. A JP’s Summing Up A certain detective, well known to me, was met in Bayley Street, Coolgardie, by a man who […]