George Bennetts was an early resident of Kalgoorlie-Boulder and became a Member of Parliament.
Synopsis of interview
- Born in South Australia he arrived in Fremantle in 1896 with his mother and siblings, to join his father who was working at the Great Boulder Mine. They came out on the steamship 'Innamincka'. He then details his journey by train to Kalgoorlie; the Cobb & Co. coach; Afghans and camel teams.
- His father had contracted typhoid fever and his mother had to walk a distance through the bush to visit him.
- Recollections of schooling at Reverend Collick's school in a tank in 1896 and then the Boulder school.
- After leaving school at 14 he starting work with a building contractor; work with a bike shop, Alfred's Dairy and sandalwooding.
- He describes his travels to the Whim Creek Copper Mine aboard the SS Koombana and the slave-like conditions he encountered at the mine.
- Details his walk 69 miles to Roebourne; being caught by police and a night in gaol.
- To return to Kalgoorlie he is employed as a cook for a cattle droving team and describes the poor treatment of aboriginal stockmen and working conditions.
- He recollects a conversation he had with an employee of the SS Kombanna, and how the employee told him the ship was dangerous since it was re-plated, as it was top-heavy. This man thought it would sink during a cyclone. The ship did sink during a cyclone on the 20th March 1912 killing 150 people. This was the first time Bennetts had told this story.
