YERILLA
Latitude : 29 29 S Longitude : 121 50 E
Yerilla is an abandoned goldfields townsite located 830 km east north east of Perth, 105 km east north east of Menzies and 37 kms south east of Kookynie. Gold was discovered in the area in the mid 1890’s, and the miners soon formed a progress committee, and in 1896 requested the declaration of a townsite. The townsite was gazetted in November 1896.
Yerilla Townsite map – Image SLWA
Yerilla is relatively unheard of for its gold production between 1895 and the present; it is renowned worldwide among the gemstone fraternity for its green gold. Chrysoprase (green gold) of the quartz family and has been mined there for forty years. Few, however, until now, have been aware of the machinations and intrigue that have been associated with its extraction.
Chrysoprase – Photo Mindat
Yerilla- 150 km north of Kalgoorlie, in fairly lush pastoral country, lies Yerilla Station. Within a few kilometres of the homestead are the remains of the old Yerilla townsite and its early gold workings.
The Yerilla King GM, Yerilla – Photo SLWA
The word ‘Yerilla’ is currently accepted as being the Aboriginal word for quartz. Jerry McAuliffe disputed this and said the Aboriginal word for Quartz was ‘Waboo’. He also suggested, after it was declined, to have it called McAuliffe’s Find. A Scotsman on the site suggested Yerilla, after a property in New South Wales where he had been employed. Probably nearer the truth is that Yerilla is the Aboriginal name for ‘Plenty of white stone’. The stones being Quartz, of course.
A Yerilla Aboriginal family 1895-1900 – Photo SLWA
The Never Never Land Hotel, Yerilla
Bill Smith’s Never Never Land Hotel, Yerilla c 1906 – Photo SLWA
The Sun – 24 December 1905, page 11
The wall eyed neddy was steaming hot when we pulled up in front of the Never Never Land mud-brick hotel at Yerilla. Leaning negligently, in the doorway was the licensee, a big, burly Scotsman, named Bill Smith, whose thoughtful look, as he scanned the procession, may have meant an inward calculation of what the travelers’ visit would pan out for the upkeep of the pub. Climbing over the counter with unexpected agility, he wiped some glasses with an ancient towel that seemed to be used in general housework, and awaited orders. A couple of rounds of drinks in which Bill and his roustabout, who had sidled in somehow, awakened some geniality in the bosom of the landlord. He dilated upon the resources of Yerilla, and the vast gold-mining and pastoral possibilities of its surroundings.
Bill was still running the hotel in 1916 when the population of the town was listed as three.The closing of the hotel in 1927 heralded the end of Yerilla as a town, but not of Yerilla its self. Its not know what became of Bill Smith.
There are only four burials in the second Yerilla Cemetery
Coordinates: -29.48333, 121.83333
Yerilla Cemetery – Photo Jill Heather
Distressing Complications
1st Cemetery – The Goldfields Morning Chronicle 26th March 1897 – On Monday morning 22 March 1897, Mr. Simon Elliott, age 63 yrs, manager of the Yerilla Claims, died suddenly at GM Lease 64R. He was at work, but died as a result of a rupture of the heart and was buried the next day. Death was certified in writing by Hubert Elliott, his son. Mr. S Anstell, Mine Manager, and brother Freemason read the service at the grave in the Yerilla cemetery. Two shifts had been employed digging, but the grave was only half-finished when the cortege arrived. Ten hours of work had then been done into an ironstone conglomerate. The ceremony was gone through and the coffin was placed in the grave which was finished later on. A doctor from Niagara arrived in the evening with instructions from Warden Owen that the body be exhumed so that a post-mortem might be conducted.
Note 1 -There is no mention made of a post-mortem being carried out on his death certificate.) Mr. Elliott’s two sons were with him, Hubert and John, and the rest of his large family remained in Ballarat. (Note: Simon’s wife Catherine and her family then moved to the Goldfields and lived at 59 Hanbury Street, Kalgoorlie, before moving to her daughter’s house in Trafalgar, where she died in 1917. She is buried in the Kalgoorlie Cemetery.)
Note 2 -The ground in the original cemetery was very hard necessitating blasting. It took two men 1½ days to dig the first grave. Not much foresight was shown in the selection of this site for a cemetery and a new cemetery site had to eventually be chosen.
ELLIOTT Simon — 63 years, d 22 Mar 1897, Occ: Mine Manager, Cause: Ruptured heart. He was formerly the underground manager for the WA Gold Co., Born: Cumberland, Victoria, Father: John ELLIOTT, At the age of 40 years, he married Catherine BELL nee MOORE in Clunes, Victoria. At the time of his death, he had only been in Western Australia for 2 ½ years. Their children at the time of his death were – Victoria Alice 21 years, John Moore 19 years, Twins Violet & Hubert 16 years, Margaret Mary Ruby 13 years, and Lillie 10 years, Reg: North Coolgardie 54/1897, Buried Yerilla cemetery.
BOASE unnamed male — d 18 Mar 1906, Stillborn, buried by father, Father: Philemon BOASE (Wood Carter), Mother: Ellen Elizabeth WOOSNAM. The couple had already lost a son, Philemon Boase who died aged 16 months in 1900, he was born in Gippsland VIC and is buried in the Coolgardie Cemetery. Their surviving children were Lucy born in 1896 in Daylesford VIC, William James born in Walhalla VIC 1897, John Born in Kurrawang WA in 1902, Annie Veronica born in Niagara in 1904. Mary born Coolgardie 1905, Thomas born Kookynie 1909, Philemon born Kookynie 1912, Ellen born 1914 Kookynie. Their last child was Dorothy born in Laverton 1918, Reg North, Coolgardie 14/1906, Buried Yerilla Cemetery.
Ellen Elizabeth BOASE nee WOOSNAN – Photo Ancestry.com
MARSHALL Thomas John — 26 years, died about 14 Feb 1899, 12 miles from Yerilla on the Griffithstown Rd on the Linden track – buried in the original Yerilla cemetery. Death certified in writing by William Marshall, his brother from Pendinnie. He was a miner who died of thirst, having lived in Western Australia for 2 years. He was born in Richmond, Victoria. Son of David Marshall (Labourer) and Ann Noble, Reg North Coolgardie 9/1899.
A swagman came across Marshall’s swag and billy-can on the road with a note attached reading: ’10th February – no water 20 miles from here’. His body was found some 15 km from the swag. The police went out and recovered his body, which, after an inques,t was buried in the new cemetery.
MARSHALL Thomas d 1899- Photograph by Jill Heather
Coolgardie Miner – 17 February 1899, page 5
FERRIS William — d 12 Nov 1905, 42yrs, at Mt Catherine near Yerilla, Cause: Heart disease, Verdict of the Coroner, Born in South Australia but no family details were known. Reg North Coolgardie 50/1905, Buried Yerilla cemetery.
Evening Mail 17 November 1905, page 1
CAPON Tom — 84yrs, d 1 Aug 1968, was cremated and his ashes interred at Yerilla Cemetery. Tom was from England originally and was a returned soldier from the first world war. Father: George Stephen CAPON, Mother: Caroline Amelia KAY, He married Annie Wills HAYWARDS in 1910, Birling, Kent, England, and they had three children: Charlotte Annie (1911), George Stephen (1912), and Edgar John (1913). The family emigrated to Western Australia in 1923 on the ship BENALLA and arrived in Fremantle in January 1924. Tom and the family moved to Albany in the 1930s and worked as a carpenter (his trade) for several years. At this point, I think the marriage started to break down. Tom moved out to Balladonia Station and began work as a cook. He remained at the station for at least five years before moving to the Yerilla Station where he became a cooks assistant, general handyman, and childminder for over seventeen years before leaving to live with family in the late 1950s till his death. In 1953, Annie filed for divorce, accusing him of adultery; they had been separated for over five years. Tom returned to Perth by 1954 and settled in the Swan region, where he remained until his death, Reg 2568/1968.
WILSON Dave — 84yrs, d 30 May 1985, was from England, born 7 Sep 1901, he was cremated and his ashes interred at Yerilla Cemetery. Dave had been a prospector and well sinker before he arrived at the station in the early 1940s, he remained there into the 1980s.
The following book by Alex Palmer will be very much enjoyed by all who are interested in the early days of the goldfields and of the explorers and prospectors that first discovered the area.
“Yerilla” by Alex Palmer, District history, maps and indexed
ISBN 0 9590584 2 7 Available from Hesperian Press
Moya Sharp
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such a joy to read these stories. i have a copy of an article in Australasian Post, August 21, 1993. it is about Tommy Lowe, an 89 year old, who has lived most of his life at Mount Remarkable Station. i also have a souvenir mug, which has ‘MENZIES Keller’ under the crest. maybe it came from Menzies? My late husband went through that area for work in 1963. he was related to Smith family of Wagga Wagga NSW, and knew Tommy.
i would like more information about the mug, or about Menzies.
Have you been on the Menzies page on my website – https://www.outbackfamilyhistory.com.au/records/town.php?town=Menzies
I would love to see a photo of the mug if you have it and to see a copy of the story of Tommy Lowe. You could email me if possible at moyasharp@outbackfamilyhistory.com.au.
You might also like this story – https://www.outbackfamilyhistoryblog.com/harry-tambo-taylor-stockman-of-the-never-never-4/
Very interested in the article. Recently discovered that my 2xg-granfather served on the (apparently final) Yerilla Board of Health, in 1898 & 1899 (it wound up in early Dec 1899, and my 2xg-grandfather departed back to Melbourne at the end of the month). I’d be interested in any mention of him – Thomas Richard ETTERY – you may come across in your records. Ironically, when his granddaughter married she moved to nearby Kalgoorlie (from Geelong) and raised her family there.
Have emailed you Kevin