REEDY (Murchison Goldfields)

Population in 1937 = 1300 of which 350 were Miners.
Latitude 27° 08′ S Longitude 118° 17′ E

The abandoned goldfields townsite of Reedy (AKA Reedy’s) is located in the Murchison Goldfields, 721 km northeast of Perth and 70 km northeast of Cue. Gold was discovered in the area by H. Reed in 1899–1900 and a nearby well, Reedy’s Well, was named after him. The well appeared on maps of the area in 1908 as a known water source.

Map by Bonzel

Several gold discoveries made in the area in the early 1930s resulted in mining development booming and in 1933 a request from the Cue-Day Dawn Road Board was made for a townsite to be surveyed and declared. Following a survey of lots, a name was sought for the townsite, and Mathers and Triton were suggested, with Reedy being another choice. Reedy was selected, and the townsite was gazetted in 1934. The name is derived from “Reedy’s Well”, a nearby water source.

Although a relatively small town, Reedy didn’t lack facilities, it had a large two story hotel, The Occidental Hotel, a state school and a convent school, an outdoor movie theatre, a community hall, a hospital with operating theatre and morgue and catholic and anglican church. For the sports minded there were lots of choices, a swimming pool, a golf course, cricket for both men and women, tennis, cycling, badminton and football clubs and of course a CWA group.

The Reedy Hospital – Photo from Maureen Hurley

The Reedy Outdoor Theatre 1933 – Photo SLWA

There were social events planned all the time with bridge tournaments and homing pigeons being very popular. These events were held in competition with the nearby town of Tuckanarra, Cue and Big Bell.  A local mining company provided a park and a recreational ground where all sorts of sporting and social events took place.There was also a thriving  newspaper to keep everyone up with local happenings.

The Reedy Golf Club – Photo SLWA

Derm Ryan outside his home at Reedy 1938 – Photo SLWA

The town although isolated was not without communication and transport. In the 1930-1940 there were motor vehicles such as cars and trucks as well as a light plane which used a short runway made by the Triton mining company. Although the town didn’t have its own railway station a train could be caught from nearby Tuckanarra.

The Occidental Hotel under construction in 1933 – Photo SLWA

The Occidental Hotel – Photo TROVE

Cue-Big Bell Chronicle and Reedy Record 5 December 1941, page 1

The towns heyday years were between 1934 and 1945. The exodus of men during WW2 depleted the population which was revived when hostilities ceased in 1945 only to then decline again by 1949.

Reedy Townsite map – Image SLWA

The local residents were also provided with all the services of a much bigger town with grocery stores, bakers, butchers, dress shops, hairdressers, newsagents, a laundry two garagges and several boarding houses. Although the mines provided some accomodation for their workers many chose to stay in the towns private establishments.

Annie and Antoni WOINAR in their boarding house at Reedy 1942 – Photo Sharp family

Reedy Cemetery on Cullculli Station – Reserve 21243
Site now under the waste heap of the Rand Mine.

EVANS Marion – d 1942, 7 days, Mother: Thelma mary EVANS, Reg: 27/1942 Murchison, Buried in the Reedy Cemetery.

GREAN Walter Aiden – d 2 Feb 1942, 36 years, Occ: Miner, Cause: Accidentally electrocuted by contact with a metal guy rope charged with electricity, he had been returning to his quarters after leaving the Occidental Hotel, Buried by T A Wilton, Reg: 5/1942 Murchison, Buried in the Reedy Cemetery.

WATSON George – d 20 Aug 1941, 2 hours, at the Reedy Hospital, Father: Frederick George WATSON (Miner), Mother: Christina May REGAN, Reg: 33/1941 Murchison, Buried in the Reedy Cemetery.