Did you know of Herbert Hoover's link with Western Australia?
By Judy Evans
@JudyEv (325818)
Rockingham, Australia
November 20, 2017 6:13pm CST
Yesterday I came across this nugget of information about Herbert Hoover, later 31st President of the USA from 1929 to 1933.
Herbert Hoover studied geology at Stanford University, California, and in 1897 was invited by a British mining-engineering firm to take up a post in Coolgardie, Western Ausralia to inspect mines and make appraisals for their viability. He is quoted as saying ‘Good engineers are called in as physicians to mend the lame ducks. This we do by killing the bad ones immediately’.
Hoover described the harsh outback as a place of ‘black flies, red dust and white heat’. As manager of the ‘Sons of Gwalia’ gold mine near Leonora, he was responsible for the unusual inclined shaft of the mine. This followed the gold lode for over 1,600 metres, going into the earth at an angle of 30 degrees. Incidentally, a lady I once worked with had connections to the Sons of Gwalia mine. Hoover left WA two years later to marry his college sweetheart although his association with Australia continued for another eight years.
Some authorities say the fortune he made as a highly successful mining engineer paved the way for his presidential campaign. It seems that he rode the first steam train into Cue perched on the cowcatcher and waving the American flag. So I’m wondering who of our US myLotters knew about Hoover’s association with Australia.
The photo is of one of the fine old hotels in Kalgoorlie.
14 people like this
16 responses
@LadyDuck (458212)
• Switzerland
21 Nov 17
I fully agree with what @JamesHxstatic wrote, he was one of the worst US Presidents. He also worked in China, he had also this option, why to come back to the United States to be such a poor President?
3 people like this
@BelleStarr (61047)
• United States
21 Nov 17
Not me, he is not one of our better presidents, I know very little about him.
3 people like this
@BelleStarr (61047)
• United States
21 Nov 17
@JudyEv That comes as a total surprise to me he is regarded as one of the mos ineffectual men ever here.
2 people like this
@JudyEv (325818)
• Rockingham, Australia
21 Nov 17
@BelleStarr Maybe he should have stuck to engineering. One article says he 'helped to establish single-hand drilling, disciplined management, and high standards of efficiency in the aftermath of a boom' so it sounds like he was good at that line of work.
1 person likes this
@xFiacre (12598)
• Ireland
21 Nov 17
@judyev your country is truly bizarre - in the nicest possible way. I'd love to tide into town perched on the cowcatcher of a big old steam train. Nearest I got to it was riding into Ahmadabad on the roof of a big steam train along with half the population of Gujarat who were celebrating something to do with Indira Gandhi but I never found out what. I just joined in anyway.
2 people like this
@JamesHxstatic (29242)
• Eugene, Oregon
21 Nov 17
I did not know of his Australian connection. Since he so ineptly led the country, I sort of wish he had stayed there though.
2 people like this
@JamesHxstatic (29242)
• Eugene, Oregon
21 Nov 17
@JudyEv He preceded Franklin Roosevelt and seemed helpless in the face of the Great Depression of1929.
2 people like this
@Deepizzaguy (94552)
• Lake Charles, Louisiana
21 Nov 17
Thank you for sharing this history fact of former President Herbert Hoover.
2 people like this
@JohnRoberts (109857)
• Los Angeles, California
21 Nov 17
Yes, I did. I learned about Hoover's engineering days in Australia when I visited his presidential library in September.
3 people like this
@Fishmomma (11377)
• United States
21 Nov 17
When I attended school we studied all the Presidents and did chuckle at James response.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (325818)
• Rockingham, Australia
21 Nov 17
And did you agree with James? Were you taught that he wasn't such a good president?
@snowy22315 (169975)
• United States
21 Nov 17
I did not know this. I most associate Hoover with the depression. I don't know much about him otherwise.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (325818)
• Rockingham, Australia
2 Feb 22
I missed this back when. I once worked with a woman whose uncle had worked with Hoover.
@DeborahDiane (40055)
• Laguna Woods, California
2 Feb 22
@JudyEv - Thank you for sharing this. I had no idea that Hoover had ever traveled to Australia, let along Kalgoorlie. Very interesting that Australia is where he built his fortune that allowed him to run for President. I can't wait to share this with my husband!
1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (40055)
• Laguna Woods, California
3 Feb 22
@JudyEv - This is an especially lovely hotel. I showed all these photos to my husband, and we both enjoyed seeing these little glimpses of Australia. Usually, if Australia is shown on the news or on New Year's Eve, it is always Sydney. I have enjoyed seeing your photos of places around where you live, as well as these photos of the more remote areas. It has been a fascinating "tour."
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (325818)
• Rockingham, Australia
3 Feb 22
@DeborahDiane Yes, it's a hotel. Kalgoorlie once had a huge number of hotels.
1 person likes this
@teamfreak16 (43421)
• Denver, Colorado
22 Nov 17
I didn't even know he was an engineer.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (325818)
• Rockingham, Australia
23 Nov 17
@teamfreak16 Did you study them at school? Any of them or maybe just some?
1 person likes this
@teamfreak16 (43421)
• Denver, Colorado
22 Nov 17
@JudyEv - That seems to be the general consensus. Other than they named Hoover Dam after him, I really don't know all that much about him.
1 person likes this
@misunderstood_zombie (8142)
• United States
23 Nov 17
I never knew about this, but I realized I don't know much about him, except he really didn't help the poor very much at the beginning of the Great Depression. I'm surprised how much I've learned in such a short time I've been on this site.
1 person likes this