Burtville Western Australia

BURTVILLE, Western Australia, is a abandoned town in the Goldfields-Esperance region of Western Australia, located 25 kilometres (16 mi) south west of the Leonora

In 1897, Gold was discovered in the area by two prospectors, B. FROST and J. TRUGURTHA. The surveyor, J. ROWE, planned the town lots in accordance with the Goldfields Act in 1901. The settlement was initially known as Merolia which is the Indigenous Australian name for the district.

The town was eventually named after the son of the first chief justice of the Western Australian Supreme Court, Archibald Burt. Alfred Earle Burt was the chief warden of the Mount Margaret Golfields. The town was gazetted as Merolia in 1902 but was regazetted to compliment Alfred BURT later the same year.

The population of the town and district rose to approximately 400 by 1903 as a result of gold mining. The town also had a water supply from a government well and a sealed pan sanitation system. A police station was opened in 1903 along with a school and two hotels. A ten stamp state battery and five stamp battery known as The Burtville Ore Reduction works were operated within the town from 1903 to 1906. Another privately owned ten stamp battery that allowed public access known as The sons of Westralia was also operating at the time.[2]

By 1916 the population had reduced to 45 and the police station was closed.

All that remains of the town today is the enterance door arch of one of the town's hotels.

from BURTVILLE, Western Australia

the BURTVILLE POSTAL DIRECTORY 1921

ACRAMAN Brothers ? storekeepers

BULK John ?miner

BULK William ?miner

BUNNY Bryce ?engine driver

JAMES Thomas ?secretary of Burtville Health Board

GASTON Walter & King ? Nil Desperandum Gold Mine

HANKS Walter ?leaseholder

LINDSAY Frederick ?leaseholder

NEILSON Peter ?miner

RICHARDS H. ?prospector

SANGSTER Laura ? Black Swan Hotel

SCOTT C.W. ?mining engineer

SMITH William H. ? leaseholder

SPROULL Richard ? miner

the BURTVILLE CEMETERY

ADDIGLAY John Calvert bur Burtville 5 Feb 1907 -Suicide

BOND Frederick bur Burtville Cemetery 28 Jul 1902: Died from Bullet Wound: murdered: North Coolgardie Herald 11 Aug 1902. 23 Sept 1902

CASEY James bur Burtville 27 Feb 1908 - Mining accident

GRAHAME Robert Archibald bur 21 Jun 1905 - suicide : age 32

HUGHES Allen bur Burtville 25 Nov 1909

KELLY William bur. Burtville 3 Mar 1903 struck by lightning: age 38:North Coolgardie Herald 4 Mar 1903

McCRACKEN Robert bur Burtville 7 Mar 1908 - Suicide

McGREGOR Hugh McLeod bur Burtville 27 Apr 1912 - Fell down mine shaft

MASSEY William bur Burtville: accident: North Coolgardie Herald 30 Oct 1901: 31 Oct 1901

MURRAY David John bur Burtville 21 Jan 1908: Died of natural causes

PREDENNICK Nicholas Moreton - bur Burtville Cemetery 31 Oct 1939: suicide

SCHROEDER Charles Friederich bur Burtville. 17 Oct 1910 - Accident

TELLINI G. - Burtville - Harry Argus

THOMAS John bur Burtville 10 Jan 1909 - Suicide

WIESE Oswald Heinrick bur Burtville: 21 Jan 1904: fell down mine shaft: aged 50: North Coolgardie Herald 2 Jan 1904: