When There’s a Gold Rush, Sell Beer – John Glowrey

ONE OF THE PIONEERS.

“I don’t want no pioneerin’; take me back to Collin’wood.” This was the strain sung by an Eastern states poet who visited, and was disgusted with, these goldfields in the early days. Fortunately for the country, the majority of the old-timers, although having to surmount apparently unsurmountable difficulties, battled along in preference to returning,

more stony broke than when they arrived to their respective “Collin’wood’s.”

Amongst these staunch battlers to whom the country owes so much may be numbered Cr Glowrey of this town. Four years ago he tramped from Southern Cross to Coolgardie with very little indeed of that yellow stuff he was seeking in the depths of his bluey. He arrived here and started out prospecting and dry-blowing, but fickle fortune favoured him not until he had sweated considerably for many months. His peregrinations took him all over the then known fields. He was one of the prospectors of the New Victoria Consols mine, and as far as known at present was the first man to peg out the Black Flag Proprietary, and was certainly the first man to get gold from that reef.

John Thomas Glowrey – Publican, Councillor and Mayor of Coolgardie – Image TROVE

Eventually Mr Glowrey realised that there was gold in the publican’s business in this city, more so in many cases than in the mining line, and straightway possessed himself of the Royal Hotel, Bayley Street in Coolgardie. This place was built just about three years ago and to it belongs the distinction of being the first two-storeyed building in Coolgardie. Among the first persons to sleep in the newly-erected hostelry was Mr Alex Forrest, brother of the Premier.

Speaking with a representative of this journal the other evening, Mr Glowrey stated that when he came to the colony he had no intention of remaining here, but he now holds so large interests on the fields that he cannot very well get away, and he added, “I now look at it this way—where  in the East will I do better than I am at the present.”  Mr Glowrey’s election to the Council a few weeks back marked his first appearance in local public life.
(Note: In 1898-1899 he was elected Mayor of Coolgardie). In 1903 he moved to Perth, WA and purchased the Palace Hotel, where he died in 1921.

He was wont to say ‘When there’s a gold rush, sell beer’.

Grave of John Thomas GLOWREY in Karrakatta Cemetery, Perth. His son is memorialised on the headstone but is buried in France. Also buried with him is his wife Hannah – Image Find a Grave

Biography: GLOWREY John Thomas – died 12 June 1921, aged 64 years, born: Victoria 1856 to James GLOWREY and Eliza BARRY, Married: 1st to Nora YOULDEN in VIC in 1878 (Nora died in 1887), 2nd to Hannah Marion RYAN in VIC in 1890, Children: 1st Mar = John Tracey born 1883 – James Henry born 1886 – Evelyn born 1887, 2nd Mar = Lindsay Gordon born 1891 (KIA France 11 Apr 1917) – Irene Eliza born 1892 – Mary born and died 1892. All of his children were born in Victoria.