John Perks – pioneer profile

  Pioneer of the Murchison. DEATH OF MR. JOHN PERKS. Mr. John Perks, the original pioneer of the now well-known Murchison country, passed away peacefully on May 17 last at Bewdley, Worcestershire, England, in his 86th year, writes Mr. F. Wittenoom. He arrived in this State in the early fifties. About 1854 he was employed […]

Gold Stealing – a cunning plan

Over the years, gold stealing has been going on as long as mining has been. Many and varied have been the cunning plans and schemes to outwit the gold stealing officers and the mining companies. One such plan became very popular until it was noticed that there was an unprecedented rise in the purchase of […]

Damper and Dog –

The early miners’ staple diet consisted of ‘Damper and Tinned Dog’, washed down by the inevitable mug of black tea – a meal sufficiently filling to satisfy the cravings of appetites blunted by protracted periods of roughing it in the bush. Apparently, tinned meat, or tinned dog as it was mainly called, must have agreed […]

Kunanalling or the 25 Mile – ghost towns

Kunanalling or the 25 Mile Latitude 30 141’ S Longitude 121 04’ E In December of 1892, James Speakman and the party found gold 25 miles from Coolgardie and 17 miles north of Mt Burgess. Speakman pegged a lease but did not apply for an exemption when he left it on account of lack of […]

Carrie of the Miner – a lady first !!

Carrie of the Miner Columnist, ‘Carrie of the Miner’ may not have been as widely known as Carrie Bradshaw of a certain TV show but in the Goldfields she is by far more important and arguably more impressive. Carrie’s real name was Amy Augusta Buscombe who was born in Daylesford Victoria in 1862 to James […]