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The Story ot a Goldfields Newspaper so many there was a keen struggle for existence. A The Western Australian Historical Society high standard had to be maintained to live, especially INCORPORATED as the Goldfields community was cosmopolitan, amongst them being numerous well-educated, adven­ JOURNAL AND PROCEEDINGS turous and enterprising spirits attracted from all parts of the world by the lure of gold. None but the VOL. IV] 1949 [PART I most readable could survive. Of all those publications, only one is alive to-day-the Kalgoorlie Miner, which The Society does not hold itselj responsible tor statements made several years ago celebrated the fiftieth anniversary or opinions expressed by authors ot the papers of its first issue. published in this Journal The story of that paper, which I edited for the first thirty years of its existence, is one of the romances of the Australian Press. The story begins seventeen months after Paddy Hannan picked up the piece of THE STORY OF A GOLDFIELDS gold that made his name famous. The scene of the NEWSPAPER find was still called Hannans. It had become a collec­ tion of hessian humpies and tents with little or no A ROMANCE OF THE PRESS resemblance of a town. There was a miserable erec­ tion that served as a Post Office; trees stood in what KALGOORLIE EARLY DAYS is to-day Hannan Street. There were a few bag A Paper prepared by the Hon. SIR JOHN KIRWAN, K.C.M.G., shanties, at one of which -iquor was sold, and at others and read to the W.A. Historical Society on March 25, 1949. such stores as canned foods, tin dishes and digger requirements. Dust and fiies were prevalent, and there A remarkable feature of the early days of the Eastern was a great scarcity of water, which was mostly con­ Goldfields was the astonishing spate of newspapers densed and very expensive. that were issued in the various centres. During the Life was strenuous and hard. What had to be second half of the 'Nineties of the last century (some­ endured by Goldfields pioneers had to be experienced times, and not inaptly, called the "Roaring 'Nineties") to be realised. Scores of men lost in the bush perished I can recall the names of almost a score, including of thirst in dreadful agony; many others died speared several dailies, that were published within that area, by blacks, and countless numbers of the healthiest and an area that but a few years previously was a remote, strongest were the victims of typhoid, in the absence waterless, foodless, trackless Wilderness, hundreds of of doctors, nurses and proper food. Still, notwith­ miles from a railway, and inhabited only by a few standing these tragic troubles the community, con­ tribes of half-starved nomadic aborigines. sisting almost exclusively of young men, was bright In Coolgardie during those years there were two With hope. Gold was plentiful, and great activity dailies and a couple of weeklies; Kalgoorlie had two prevailed from daylight to dark. The alluvial work­ dailies and two weeklies, Menzies also had two dailies, ings were as full of life as beehives. In the immediate and Kanowna one daily; whilst Norseman, Bulong, vicinity of Mount Charlotte, Cassidy's Hill, Maritana, Broad Arrow, Leonora and Southern Cross each had Hannans Reward and other mines were rich near the weeklies. At the port of Esperance, from which, prior surface, and promised to be permanent. to the railway reaching Coolgardie in 1896, most of THE WESTERN ARGUS the Goldfields supplies were brought by teams, there About this time, two brothers named Mott, printers were two newspapers. It is not surprising that amongst from the Eastern Colonies, thought the locality could Page 4 The Western Australian Historical Society 6 The Story ot a Goldfields Newspaper 7 support a newspaper, and on November 24, 1894, they mayor and councillors and with the commencement published the first issue of the Western Argus as a in July, 1895, of the construction of a railway from four-page weekly. There were pessimists about in Southern Cross to Coolgardie. those days, as always is the case on goldfields. The writer of the leading article in the first issue wrote: A RECESSION .. We have been told that the paper won't payor last. Our reply is that we are quite prepared to risk it and Towards the middle of 1895 the prospects of Kal­ that we are come to stay." goorlie were not as bright as had been hoped. In fact, The news items in the first issue reported that a 1t was rapidly going downhill; hundreds of people were Money Order Office had been opened at Hannans and leaving each week. The alluvial had given out. The a telegraph messenger had been appointed. A later mines of Mount Charlotte, Hannan's Reward, Cassidy'S issue reports a meeting of the committee of the Racing Hill and the Maritana, which had promised well, Club, at which a suggestion was made that a racing proved disappointing. Most people regarded the Great track be laid out near the township, as "the present Boulder and neighbouring mines, which were a couple course is too far away." Mr. C. Cutbush is mentioned of miles southward, as mere "wild cats." What is as honorary secretary. Another issue reports a meet­ now "The Golden Mile" was constantly referred to as ing at which a committee was appointed to raise funds "Brookman's sheep farm." There was a proposal to to establish a hospital. A few days afterwards £8/15/­ "remove the Government offices from Kalgoorlie to was collected for the hospital at a boxing match in Kanowna, a mining centre 12 miles to the east. For Hannan street. Subsequently, a summons was issued months the Western Argus was a losing proposition against the participants, but because of the charitable financially. purpose of the match, the summons was withdrawn. At this time Mr. Sydney E. Hocking, with his brother An issue during December, 1894, gives interesting Mr. Percy S. Hocking, were the chief owners of the glimpses of life in those days. It says: Golden Age (daily) and the Coolgardie Courier .. Hannan Street presented a gay and festive appearance (weekly), both journals being published at Coolgardie. on Wednesday afternoon. On one side of the street cricketers were engaged in practice, watched by many Mr. Percy Hocking was a business man. The brothers spectators, whilst opposite an interesting quoit match was came from South Australia and were both young, able, being played by a local auctioneer and a well-kno,lfn energetic and enterprising. boniface. Several sums changed hands on the event. Mr. Sydney Hocking was an experienced journalist. Early in 1895 the name of Kalgoorlie was officiallY He had been a member of the literary staff of the adopted instead of Hannans. The leading article of Adelaide Advertiser and had also done considerable January 5 1895 begins with this statement: "The ~rrived' reporting for the Press at Broken Hill. He visited Kal­ time has when Hannans, or Kalgoorlie as it is goorlie to secure "copy" for his papers on the prospects now called, should be formed into a municipality." -or the district. He went underground at the Great Numerous issues deal with the scarcity and high cost Boulder and other mines, met the mine managers, and of water' with the need for police and for local courts having a shrewd, almost penetrative judgment of instead df litigants having to go to Coolgardie (24 miles the value of mines, he immediately realised the wealth distant) : with reports of meetings of the Progress of the Boulder group. He became quite convinced Committee' with accounts of the alarming number o~ fro~ that this group was immensely rich and was certain deaths typhoid fever, mostly of young men; with of long life. In his opinion the mining future of Kal­ ,the proclamation in February, 1895, of Kalgoorlie as a goorlie was vastly better than that of any other mining municipality; with the starting of the Great..:S0ulder centre in Western Australia. When he returned to battery on April 10, 1895; with the first electtons for 'Coolgardie, he said to his brother: "Let us sell every- 8 The Western Australian Historical Society The Story ot a Goldfields Newspaper thing here and shift to Kalgoorlie." This was arranged. Their friends said they were making the KALGOORLIE MINER mistake of their lives. Their partner, Mr. McCallum Smith, did not view the future of Kalgoorlie with On Saturday, September 14, 1895, Messrs. Hocking optimism, and did not join in their new venture. and Co. published the first issue of the Kalgoorlie Miner, whilst the Western Argus continued to appear Mott Bros. readily agreed to sell the Western Argus. weekly. The new daily comprised four pages, and the They were glad to get rid of it. They had become dis­ price was twopence. In the light of what has hap­ heartened. The future of the locality to them seemed pened since, the leading article in the first issue was gloomy, their headth was not good, and they were prophetic. It stated: anxious to return to the Eastern Colonies. They were " This town is rapidly taking its place as the capital ot agreeably surprised that there should be anyone pre­ the goldfields ot Western Australia and has already pared to purchase their interests, and so the Western become such an important centre that the appearance ot Argus, together with the building (a ramshackle the "Kalqoorlie Miner," the first and only daily paper published on the East Coolgardie field, will cause no hessian, wood and iron structure) also the land on surprise.

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