Kalgoorlie

HANNAN STREET, KALGOORLIE, CA. 1900

CROWD IN HANNAN STREET, KALGOORLIE, CA. 1905

HANNAN STREET FROM INSIDE CLOCK TOWER

RAILWAY REACHED KALGOORLIE IN 1896

GOLDFIELDS WATER SUPPLY - 1903

KALGOORLIE PUBLIC BUILDINGS 1899

Govt architect John Granger – Federation free style with renaissance and Romanesque influences

JANUARY 30TH 1934Kalgoorlie Race Riots

IntroductionOn three notable occasions, the gold-mining town of Kalgoorlie was the scene of anti - southern European riotingin 1916, 1919 and 1934.

JANUARY 30TH 1934Kalgoorlie Race Riots

Lets study the root causesAustralia was a very

different place in the early 1900’s

JANUARY 30TH 1934Kalgoorlie Race Riots

Alien immigration act White Australia policy

The term “Britisher” was used to

differentiate white Australian born miners from Southern

EuropeansStill very strong ties to Britain – Anti European sentiments from WW1

IMMIGRATION POLICY

“IN 1924 PRIME MINISTER STANLEY BRUCE STRESSED THAT THE NOTORIOUS DICTATION

TEST WAS ONLY DESIGNED TO PREVENT COLOURED IMMIGRANTS FROM ENTERING

THE COUNTRY AND THAT SOUTHERN EUROPEANS SHOULD NOT BE

DISCRIMINATED AGAINST”

WHILE SOUTHERN EUROPEANS WERE NOT CONSIDERED EQUAL TO BRITISHERS THEY

WERE REGARDED AS A LESSER AND NECESSARY EVIL AND SHOULD BE ALLOWED

IN STRICTLY CONTROLLED NUMBERS TO CREATE A POOL OF LOW PAID WORKERS FOR

MENIAL LOW PAID JOBS

SONS OF GWALIA MINE - GWALIA

•Early workplace racial conflict•Union preference to “Britisher” Miners•Racism•Xenophobia

HISTORY OF GWALIA MINE •Started by Thomas Tobias a Coolgardie Storekeeper in 1896

•Lease transferred to G W Hall in 1897 and Sons of Gwalia was born

•Started with a 10 head stamp battery and 110 men

•Miners had to provide their own accommodation and the area was soon sprinkled with corrugated iron and hession cottages.

•Seeking additional capital Hall started negotiations with London firm Bewick Moreing who sent out 23 year old Herbert Hoover to inspect the mine.

•Hoover recognised the potential of the mine and recommended that Bewick Moreing buy it.

•In 1898 Sons of Gwalia was launched on the London stock exchange with Bewick Moreing having the controlling interest , Herbert Hoover was appointed General manager.

HERBERT HOOVER

•An amazing young man. General manager of Gwalia mine development at age 24 years

•Introduced new work practises at Gwalia. Shift changes at the face. No overtime on weekends. Employed Italian miners

•Became a partner in Bewick Moreing at age 27 years.

•Elected 31st President of the USA in 1929. Served only one term

SOUTHERN EUROPEAN MINERS

Employed by Herbert Hoover at the Sons of Gwalia mine. Hoover said they worked harder for less money and conditions of employment were lower than “Britishers”.

HOOVER RECRUITS SOUTHERN EUROPEAN MINERS

Hoover recruited a number of Italian workers whom he regarded as his allies against the unions: "I have a bunch of Italians coming up ... and will put them in the mine on contract work. If they are satisfactory I will secure enough of them to hold the property in case of a general strike and ... will reduce wages." By the early 1900s and up to the closure of Sons of Gwalia Mine in 1963, a large proportion of the miners were Italian or Yugoslavian.

ITALIAN MINERS UNDERGROUND AT GWALIA

GWALIA MINERS HUTS

GWALIA – NEVER GAZETTED AS A TOWN

•State Govt said it was too close to Leonora – only 3.4km

•Electric tram ran between Leonora and Gwalia

•Gwalia continued throughout it’s life as a shanty town although the state govt built a state hotel

•Not so for Herbert Hoover who oversaw the construction of a magnificent mine managers residence, still there, fully restored.

GWALIA STATE HOTEL

HOOVER HOUSE

HOOVER HOUSE DINING ROOM

GWALIA MINERS COTTAGE

PATRONIS GUEST HOME

KALGOORLIE – HANNAN ST – MARITANA ST

VIEW FROM PALACE HOTEL VERANDA

LABOUR DAY HOLIDAY KALGOORLIE – 19OO’S

KALGOORLIE BETWEEN THE WARS: A MINE OF RACISM?

The 1916 campaign against ‘enemy subjects’

In December 1916, inflammatory reports in the Kalgoorlie press blamed the King of Greece for the deaths of British and French soldiers at the hands of Greek troops. In revenge, some Kalgoorlie residents, led by returned soldiers, damaged and looted more than twenty Greek- run businesses.

KALGOORLIE BETWEEN THE WARS: A MINE OF RACISM?

The 1919 Kalgoorlie race riotsIn 1919, there was a considerable level of street violence in Australia, as returnedsoldiers expressed their dissatisfaction regarding the political and industrial situationthey found at home. Migrant workers who were deemed to be taking returned soldierjobs particularly angered them. In one such incident in Kalgoorlie, a 22 year old returned soldier, Thomas Northwood, was fatally stabbed in an altercation with an Italian man. A bell-ringer was sent through the streets to summon a general roll-up of returnedSoldiers. Although Northwood and his companions had instigated the altercation,returned servicemen led riots against southern Europeans. They organised a march of townspeople to various Italian-owned businesses in the area, which were ransacked one by one. The protesters demanded that all non - Britishers be ejected from the goldfields in order to ensure that sufficient jobs would await those returning from military service.Single Italian men were given an ultimatum to leave the town or face ejection and, as a result, many migrants fled.

KALGOORLIE – HANNAN ST – MARITANA ST

The Depression and hardened attitudes•The Depression hardened community attitudes against immigrants. Racism surfaced under the guise of protecting Australian jobs and businesses.

•Anti-foreigner riots occurred on the Kalgoorlie goldfields in 1916, 1919 and 1934

•These were followed by strikes demanding preferential employment for Australian-born workers (Britishers). Immigrants in the 1920s and 30s maintained contact, where possible, with families and homelands.

•This was especially important when many were made to feel unwelcome.

GOLD PRICE SPIKE DURING THE DEPRESSION

1934 $35.001933 $32.321932 $20.671931 $20.671930 $20.671929 $20.671928 $20.671927 $20.67

75% PRICE INCREASE

HOME FROM HOME HOTEL

The bloody foreigners were attacking Australians intheir own country. Tempers flared: volunteers werecalled for.

Manning Clark on the 1934 Kalgoorlie riots,History of Australia1

HOME FROM HOME HOTEL

An Italian barman, Claudio Mattaboni, 34, employed at the Home FromHome Hotel, is alleged to have struck a “Britisher” George Edward Jordon,29, who fell to the pavement and suffered a fractured skull. He died as a consequence

KALGOORLIE WINE SALOON BURNT

A youth threw a stone through a window of the Kalgoorlie Wine Saloon and full-

scale rioting ensued

THE ALL NATIONS HOTEL DESTROYED BY FIRE. THIS WAS A BOARDING HOUSE AS THE HOTEL WAS DELICENSED. LOOTED AND DESTROYED BY FIRE

THE FUNERAL OF TED JORDAN OVER WHOSE DEATH ALL THE FRACAS OCCURRED. OVER 100 CARS FOLLOWED HIS REMAINS AND OVER 9000 PEOPLE VIEWED THE FUNERAL. 

TED JORDON FUNERAL

One local resident Nancy Crisp described her sisters impression of the funeral procession that accompanied Jordan’s coffin

“I’m not suggesting there wasn’t the usual grief and sorrow from his own family and friends but Norah told us when she came home that the cars going along at the tail end of this cortege were full of sightseers and almost merry makers and she was rather disgusted about it”

Reporter Gavin Casey blamed the elaborate funeral and subsequent alcohol consumption for the second night of rioting

FULL SCALE RIOT

The scene of the shooting on 31/1/34. The

trench at the foot of the bridge is where the

Italians held force with their homes

immediately behind. When the "mob" got

control the Italians ran for safety to the

dumps in the background only to see their

houses looted and burned to the ground. 70

homes were destroyed

FULL SCALE RIOTKALGOORLIE, Jan. 31.— At Boulder last night miners who were concerned in the riot on Monday night came into savage conflict with the foreigners who defended their homes and property with rifles and knives and home bombs.

Rioters looted and obtained firearms and ammunition

Rioters were alcohol fuelled and unrestrained looting occurredMURDER, PILLAGE AND INCENDIARISMNight Battle With Rifles and BombsMILE LONG LINE OF BURNING SHACKSPOLICE REINFORCEMENTS RUSHED FROM PERTH –

150 special Constables held back due the ongoing volatility.

ITALIANS RETREATED TO THE DUMPS – 70 HOMES BURNT

DINGBAT FLAT – PROPERTIES BURNT

Scene of the destruction on what is known as "Dingbat Flat". Chimneys in background "Left" are of Kalgoorlie Electric Power and Lighting Corporation, Boulder . Reported that 250 Slav homes were destroyed

SLAVONIC DANCE HALL, BOULDER WRECKED. THIS WAS NOT BURNED OWING TO BEING SURROUNDED ON ALL SIDES BY BRITISHERS

JACK OSMETTI AND TED JORDON WERE MATES

Cornwall Hotel in Boulder was torched

CORNWALL HOTEL TODAY

PITMAN – WALSH MURDERS - 1926

Coulter and Treffone

AFTERMATH OF THE KALGOORLIE RIOTS - LAUNCESTON HOSTEL RUN BY THE ERCEGOVICH FAMILY AFTER RIOTS IN KALGOORLIE

THE AFTERMATH

THE AFTERMATH

THE AFTERMATHKILLED.

STOKES, CHARLES (27), of 14 Cheetham Street, Kalgoorlie.

KATICH, JOSEPH (33), single, a Dalmatian.

WOUNDED.

SHACKLES, William (28), of 16 MoranStreet, Boulder.

KING, WILLIAM (26), married, of 26George-street, Kalgoorlie.

BROWN, M. (17), of 186 Forrest Street,Kalgoorlie.

AUERN, FRANK (25), single, of 10 President-street, Kalgoorlie.

MAONAMABA, JAMES (17), single, of 95Boulder-Road.

BARBIE, SAMUEL (36), married, of Boulder.

THE FUNERAL OF JOSEPH KATICH. NOTICE ALL THESE MEN ARE WITHOUT COATS. MOST OF THESE PEOPLE HAD ALL THEIR BELONGINGS DESTROYED BY FIRE BARRING THOSE THEY ARE STANDING UP IN

Many came out of hiding in the bush to attend the funeral. Police

guaranteed their safety if they stayed in town but most returned to

the bush.One young Britisher spoke and said Joe Katich was a good friend of his

and that he was very sorry with what had happened. Said they

would help to rebuild the houses in Boulder destroyed during the riots.

THE AFTERMATH

•In time, eighty-six people were arrested on a variety of charges in connection with the riots – twenty-two charges of stealing, fifty-five for unlawful possession, four for vagrancy, seventeen for rioting (one absconded from bail) and four for possession of unlicensed firearms.

•The police were able to secure eighty-three convictions and fourteen men received gaol sentences.

•The records do not, however, support the common contention that the rioters were predominantly miners.

•Alcohol and mob rule were key drivers

KALGOORLIE HOTELS – ONE EVERY 50 YARDS

YORK AND ORIENTAL EXCHANGE

THE CAUSES

The town was no more disturbed than usual, during the late summer weeks, but the undercurrents were deep underground until one single incident brought them gushing to the surface.

Gavin Casey – Journalist and author 1934

CONTRIBUTING FACTORS

• Xenophobia• Racism• Tr ibute mining -Foreign miners giving sl ing backs to shift bosses • Language difficulties – communicating underground• High accident rate underground• Chamber of mines – Divide and rule strategy• Miners disease• Hot weather – restless and short tempered• Alcohol• Frontier mental ity for dispute resolution

THE PROTAGONISTS

•Chamber of MinesThe belief that foreigners were getting preference was indirectly fuelled by members of the Chamber of Mines. They made it abundantly clear that the foreign-born miner was an example which Britisher miners would do well to emulate – docile, hard-working and uninfected by trade unionism – an easily recognisable ‘divide and rule’ tactic. Although the mine managers insisted that they observed a policy of Britisher employment preference, pointing out the advantages of migrant labour confirmed their commitment to ‘freedom of contract’

THE PROTAGONISTS

•RSLThe RSL leadership’s position on immigration was contradictory. On one level, they supported the employers’ right to search for the cheapest labour. At the same time, their commitment to a ‘White Australia’ encouraged opposition to all but British immigration. As a result, their stance helped to marginalise southern Europeans in Kalgoorlie, while not effectively limiting their arrival. At both state and federal level, the Kalgoorlie RSL leadership promoted motions demanding an end to southern European immigration; calling for the more strict enforcement of language tests; and scaremongering about the social dangers of non-British immigration.

THE PROTAGONISTS

The AWU leadership occupied a contradictory position between the Chamber of Mines and its own membership. Although it sought peaceful and bureaucratic negotiations with management, it also sought to build a union in an industry where management denied any concessions, using every possible means to reduce wages and conditions and to weaken trade unionism. The union had been unable to resist the Chamber of Mines’ push towards greater employment competition, and blaming migrants for poor conditions either went unchallenged or became a convenient scapegoating exercise

•AWU

COMPENSATION

• Payment of compensation agreed upon by the State Government • Rolling out of compensation was prolonged with general dissatisfaction• Eventually 6,500 pounds worth of corrugated iron and timber were made available along with carpenters to rebuild housing.•Encouraged to build in Boulder away from “Dingbat Flat” for better integration•Business people were also compensated for destroyed premises’ fittings and furniture.

SUMMARY

There was a community wide lack of sympathy with the rioters and a subsequent feeling of shame and guilt

Local Australian residents had good relations with immigrants and helped them during and after the riots by storing their valuables in their homes and giving them food and clothing

Large numbers of Australian born kids of migrants had been to local schools and played sport with Australian kids.

There was a lack of racism at this community level

SUMMARY The Osmetti brothers were outstanding sportsmen

and popular in Boulder Charlie played for East Fremantle and Jack was a

champion footballer with Mines Rovers and became a state bowls champion in later years.

The Epis family were also great sportsmen and Alex played 184 games for Essendon in later years.

Many Italian and Yugoslavian offspring became leaders in the business, cultural, community and sporting life of the Goldfields

The current Mayor of Kalgoorlie is Ron Yuryevich Matt Turich and Danny Sheehan ran the Kalgoorlie

two-up game for years

KALGOORLIE TWO UP RING

KALGOORLIE RACE RIOTS 1934

THANK YOU

Questions