NorsemanPrint Page

Plaque :

Hello !  My name is "Norseman" 

The horse credited with the birth of this town

This sculpture was erected in February 1990

Sculptor - Mr Robert Hitchcock
Perth, Western Australia

Plaque :

Brief history of the horse called "Norseman"

This life size bronze sculpture of the horse called "Norseman" was erected by an elected fund raising body of Norseman residents to perpetuate the memory of the horse and the early pioneers of the town.

The History of the Western Australian Goldfields records the story of a discovery of Norseman by Laurie Sinclair on the 13th August, 1894. Mr Sinclair was one of the six founders of Norseman which also included his brother George Sinclair, Mr Allsop, Mr Ramsey, Mr Talbot and Mr Goodlife. 

The story told, recounts Mr Sinclair`s horse "Norseman" pawing up a very rich specimen of gold bearing ore on that fateful day , and from it came another chapter from the rush that never ended was born, and the town came into being. 

Mr Laurie Sinclair originally came from the Shetland Islands off the coast of Scotland and was proud to call himself a Norseman. Mr Laurie Sinclair called his horse "Norseman" after the Clan Norseman and named the new goldfield, Norseman, after his horse. 

While Mr Sinclair and his mates personified that breed of men, the prospector, who pioneered the west and are commemorated in part by Paddy Hannan in Kalgoorlie and Russian Jack in Halls Creek. The sculpture of the horse " Norseman" seeks to commemorate the animals who laboured just as hard in the opening of our State. They were companions as well as beast of burden to our pioneers.