Rudolf Theodore Krakouer. Rudolf Theodore Krakouer
Obituary.
Daily News
30 June 1915
The funeral of the late Mr. Rudolph Theodore Krakouer, late of Norseman, W.A., took place on Sunday afternoon last, June 27, in the Jewish portion of the Karrakatta cemetery, and was attended by a large number of relatives and friends.
Mr. Krakouer was born at Fremantle, W.A. in 1863, and was, therefore a colonist of 52 years. He was for many years a resident of Eticup, Kojonup and Broomehill, on the Great Southern Railway, and on the discovery of Coolgardie he was one of the pioneers in having teams of horses, and carrying passengers from Broomehill to Southern Cross and Coolgardie.
He was assisted by Mr. John Holland and his brother Raphael. They arrived in Coolgardie two days before Hannan’s broke out, after being about 13 or 14 weeks out on the track. After a good deal of hardships, he and his brother built the Royal Hotel at Coolgardie (the first two-storeyed building on the fields).
Despite Rudolph Krakouer being the main organiser and financier of the expedition, John Holland, who was also on the expedition, was later able to claim most of the credit, and the Track is named after him.
After a few years he turned towards Norseman and was there for a number of years. Krakouer was married at Albany, W.A. and leaves a widow, also two sons and one daughter. His eldest son Cyril Krakouer, only 18 years of age at the time, was at the front in World War One having enlisted in the 11th Battalion, 3rd reinforcements. (ed: unable to locate war record)
The brothers married indigenous women, and ran a string of hotels from Collie to Norseman. The name lives on with some well-known football players who are among their descendants, notably Phil and Jim.
The chief mourners were Messrs., Abraham, Raphael and Phillip Krakouer (brothers). Messrs. W. Thomas, Thos. Buckingham, R. Flanagan (brothers in-law). Messrs. J. O’Reilly, Louis Krakouer, T. Lamb and R. Buckingham (nephews). The Rabbi, Rev. D. I. Freedman, officiated at the graveside, and the funeral arrangements were in the hands of Mr. Donald J. Chipper, of Perth and Fremantle.
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Rudolf Krakouer’s father, Theodore Krakouer (born December, 1818 and died in Fremantle 11 May, 1877) arrived in Fremantle, convicted of theft, in 1851, on the Mermaid. Having got his ticket of leave, he worked as a dealer with horses and was in business with Elias Lapidus (also an ex-convict convicted of receiving who had arrived on the Hashemy in 1850) and married Brina Israel (Lapidus married her sister Esther), with whom he had two sons, Rudolph and David.
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