NOTE: Unless stated, all photographs are supplied by Arthur Coopes. Arthur George Shelley (1841-1925) and Mary Clarissa Shelley (nee Walker) (1849-1912) This is the story of the Shelley family, from their time in Kerang, Victoria, through their move to Western Australia during the 1890s t0 the WA Goldfields and the earlier times of their lives […]
The Passing of Jones –
14/06/2025 By Leave a Comment
Geraldton Express and Murchison and Yalgo Goldfields Chronicler – 23 December 1898, page 6 THE PASSING OF JONES by Bungarra Jones was a friend of mine!! In all fairness, I must state, however, that the connection was not of my own seeking. Like poverty, subpoenas, and subscription lists, it was thrust upon me. The first […]
Gold Rush Days in the Kimberley
14/06/2025 By Leave a Comment
West Australian 14 September 1934, page 29 GOLD RUSH DAYS The Kimberley the Eighties Interesting diaries, containing details of life in the North in the eighties, and written by one who was a trooper with the first police gold escort sent to Halls Creek goldfield in 1886, are in the possession of Mr. S. P. […]
Madman’s Menace: A Constable’s Courageous Rescue
14/06/2025 By Leave a Comment
Western Mail 15 July 1905, page 48 DESPERATE ENCOUNTER WITH A MADMAN. A PLUCKY CONSTABLE SAVES A CHILD. Eccentricities suggestive of religious mania were evidenced by a man named Robert Alexander JOHNSON (more familiarly known as “Professor” St. Clair, the Palmist) during the past week, and they developed to a dangerous stage on Friday night, […]
Lawlers Golden Dawn: The East Murchison Gold Rush of the 1890s
07/06/2025 By 6 Comments
LAWLERS Latitude 28° 05′ S Longitude 120° 31′ E The townsite of Lawlers is located in the eastern goldfields, about 992 km from Perth. It is also about 32 km from Leinster. Gold was discovered here in 1894 by Patrick J Lawler (“Paddy Lawler”), a prospector who was rewarded for his discovery in 1899. In […]
