There is a wonderful and interesting link to the Krakouer family with the finding of what is now Coolgardie.
Twenty-eight years before either Bailey or Ford had sighted gold at what was later to become Coolgardie, Theodore Isidore Krakouer, a Russian Jew, had been sent out as a convict number 232 from Portsmouth, England. He had been prosecuted for the crime of Larceny but was not convicted as he was classed as a ‘Hopeless Lunatic’. He was sent to Australia for an indefinite term. However, he was considered one of the finest-looking men in the state, being over 6 feet in height, broad in proportion, curly-haired, bearded with blue eyes, an altogether magnificent type.
Rudolph Krakouer and wife Elizabeth THOMAS and son Cyril – Photo Ancestry.com
He befriended another convict, named Elias Lapidus. When the ‘Holland Track Expedition’ went out east and practically found Coolgardie, Theodore Krakouer somehow arranged for the temporary release of Elias Lapidus to act as a mineralogist to the party. Lapidus noted that many specimens of gold were just lying about. The Elias only confided the whereabouts of the gold to Theodore Krakouer on his return to Fremantle. Theodore was arranging for his ticket of leave when –
his friend suddenly died, taking the secret of the location with him.
Theodore had married in England before being transported, and it’s not known what happened to his first wife, but Theodore started a de facto marriage in 1853, not long after he arrived in Fremantle with Brina ISRAEL. The couple’s first son, Abraham ‘Abe’ Joseph Krakouer, was the first Russian Jewish baby to be born in Fremantle in 1853. Abraham himself married Elizabeth Gertrude THOMAS, and they had five children who were Theodore, Herman, Albert, Mary and Arthur.
Rudolph Theodore KRAKOUER – Photo Ancestry.com
The two most well-known of the sons of Theodore were Rudolph Theodore Krakouer and David Krakouer. The claim to fame of these younger sons was their part in the establishment in 1893 of the Holland Track to the Goldfields from the end of the railway line at Broomehill, which involved surveying and clearing over 500 km of virgin country. Despite Rudolph Krakouer’s being the main organiser and financier of the expedition, John Holland, who was also on the expedition, as well as John Carmody, were later able to claim most of the credit, and the Track is named after him. In time, the boys’ older brother Abraham attempted to recover the £393 spent by his younger brothers on the expedition but was rudely rebuffed by the WA Government. Even two geographic features, that have been named in honour of the brothers – Krakouer Rocks and Lake Krakouer were later renamed, on what became known as The Holland Track.
David Krakouer and wife Jessie nee Patterson and daughter Fanny c 1899 – Photo Ancestry.com
More significantly, the two brothers married local indigenous women, starting a dynasty of football players of Jewish-Aboriginal descent. Perhaps this is the most fitting legacy of that one enterprising convict who arrived in Fremantle 171 years ago.
Albert Raphael Krakouer, another son of Abraham Joseph Krakouer and Alicia Catherine ROBINSON. He was born in Albany WA in 1888 and came with his family to the Mount Magnet District of WA in 1894, he was to spend the rest of his life there and is buried in the Mt Magnet Cemetery. On his return from the 1914-18 War, he married Violet May PERHAM in 1920. They had seven children: Myrtle, Ronald, Norman, Leonard, Alfred, Donald and Noreen.
David Krakouer and wife Jessie nee Patterson – Photo Ancestry.com
Albert’s father, old ‘Abe’, also remained in Mt Magnet. He stayed living next to the Hesperus pit and would not leave, preferring the dust of the 60-tonne trucks and explosions to the peace of an Aged People’s home. However, he died in Perth WA in 1928. He had married four times and had nine sons and five daughters.
Abraham ‘Abe’ Joseph Krakouer – Photo Ancestry.com
So, as you will see, there are a great number of descendants from only these three generations of the family. I would think with all of the children, girls included, there would be hundreds of descendants of Theodore Krakouer from Russia in Australia today. With the reuse of several family first names, it can be confusing working out who is who!
Moya Sharp
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This is a fantastic story!
Love this one ❤️
My darling stepfather was Alfred Charles KRAKOUER from Mt Magnet he passed away 6 yrs ago in Perth. He had 1 daughter Leanne who has no children.
Hi Moya do you know the names if the 2 aboriginal women they married
Hi do you know the names of the 2 aboriginal women’s that they married
Rudolph married Gertrude THOMAS and David married Jessie PATTERSON.
And also where does the 2 ladies come from which town thank you