Claude Albo de Bernales and the Cottesloe Civic Centre
Channel: Donald Pugh
Date: 24/03/2014

Claude  de Bernales was a legend bigger than life with  his meteoric  rise from poverty to vast wealth.    Since his death in 1963, little  remains of  his  mining empire except   his Cottesloe  mansion overlooking the Indian Ocean.          It has been described as Western Australia's  one and only Palace.             

Born in Brixton, Engl  in 1876 he  arrived in  Coolgardie Western Australia in 1897 nearly pennyless.          Salvaging and reselling mining machinery, he  demonstrated acute business acumen buying low priced goldmining  leases and companies.  A new home was completed in1936 in Spanish Mission style          surrounded by extensive walls and gardens overlooking the Indian ocean.   The mansion  was done up in a lavish style with polished Jarrah walls and floor,    expensive furniture, priceless artwork and herloons.  

With a hands on understanding of the mining business, De Bernales was blessed with good looks,    and demonstrated aristocratic dress, demeanour and  charismatic salesmanship skills.     He obtained  numerous  leases, companies      and ownership of defunct  goldmines          during his time in the goldfields.           He floated these and new goldmine companies in both Western Australia and  in England  and promoted  his  low priced mining shares vigourously with the right people.          This led to an influx of many millions of dollars    from British investors into the goldfields doing the 1930s depression.  De Bernales           not only obtained directorships, and commissions, but his interlocked companies also provided timber, cement and mining equipment.           Unfortunately  many of the mines failed to yield much gold.  His  Empire fell apart in 1939 when his companies were suspended from the British stock exchange and were liquated without dividend,          a tremendous financial loss to the British investors.               De Bernales sold his Cottesloe   properties to the Council for £30,000 in 1950 .           

The house survives to day as the COTTESLOE Civic Centre and is frequently use for weddings or funerals.  Bernales did  protect his private companies and remainded a rich man  to die  in England a well-known figure 1963  at an age of 88.