Tommy King and ‘The Miners Dream’

The Southern Cross Times 9th May 1914  –     THE MINERS DREAM The old identities expressed deep and sincere regret yesterday when  word came into town that old Tommy King had been killed at Parker’s Range, for Tommy was one of the pioneers of 1887 and 1888. For over 28 years the deceased maintained that he had a rich gold find […]

Pioneers of Southern Cross – Grave Tales

If you have ever traveled by road to or from Kalgoorlie to Perth, you will no doubt have passed through Southern Cross. At the entrance to the town (from the Kalgoorlie side) you may have noticed a large stone with a plaque and several cemetery headstones arranged in a semi circle around it.  These are […]

Snatched from the Jaws of Death

Western Argus 5th May 1898 LOST IN THE BUSH. FIVE DAYS WITHOUT FOOD OR WATER. MISS JANECZEK’S AWFUL EXPERIENCE!   Southern Cross seems determined to make a name for itself. Beside those persons interested in the mines in the place, nobody scarcely knew of this town, in the barren desert of West Australia. Then it […]

Golden Valley – The Early Days

The discovery of gold that led in turn to Golden Valley, Southern Cross, Coolgardie and Kalgoorlie and Western Australia becoming a member of the Federation is a story seldom told. This is an extract from ‘Sand and Stone Vol 1’ by Kevin Moran as follows: – On Mujakine station, Mrs Jane Glass discovered a drowned […]

Typhoid Fever: A Raging Epidemic

During the 1890s typhoid fever in the Goldfields reached epidemic proportions. An infectious food and water-borne disease, typhoid was linked to poor sanitation, often combined with overcrowding.   ‘Instant’ crowded tent towns, unsanitary conditions, and a limited fouled water supply combined with basic health amenities, provided ideal conditions for the spread of the disease. Its […]