South Australia - Gold Fever of the 1850s

On 20 October 1851 I left Adelaide on foot with a blanket on my back and my faithful dog, Tiger, by my side. We were heading for the diggings. As you know we had just had the wettest winter since the foundation of the colony, and consequently I was prepared to encounter many difficulties with swamps. These were known to exixst on the road - a term not really applicable for there was, in fact, no road after crossing the River Murray.

After 100 miles I came to the first swamp which I forded in about two hours. Knee deep in mud and slime I then crawled out on to the bank to find not a track in sight. It appeared that the heavy growth after winter rains had obliterated them. Fortunately, I fell in with a few friendly natives who put me on the right scent. When the sun had set I lit a fire, and having cooked and consumed my damper, I wrapped myself up in my blanket and was soon asleep.

Next morning I trudged on, admiring the luxuriant shrubs which grew in profusion around many salt water lakes. These were covered with black swans, geese and ducks. I finally came to a most formidable swamp about four miles across and in places chin deep. The name of the place is Tilly's {sic} Flat and it was here that I had the misfortune to lose my dog.

Tiger could have swum the distance but would not go ahead and kept swimming back to me, for I could not keep up with him. It took me six hours to get out of that infernal swamp, but, alas, I found myself quite alone. My poor dog had drowned.

On and on I went, swamp after swamp. I waded for miles, meeting occasionally a shepherd or stockman. The natives I encountered were very civil and of great assistance, supplying me with fish they caught in the Coorong. Our conversation was on a limited scale. On the whole I do not think I could have done without them and, with one solitary exception, I was glad to meet them.

One tribe I fell in with was very warlike. They understood no English and I did not comprehend their dialect. From what I could gather they were on a war expedition against another tribe. They were painted in red, white, blue and yellow, each male with three of four spears, war clubs and boomerangs. I felt much more at ease where I was out of their reach.

Travelling on I reached the Glenelg River. I was quite worn out as I had travelled the last 100 miles barefooted. My boots were hard as iron after continual wetting and drying in the sun. I availed myself of a rest at a shepherd's hut and within a few days my raw feet were much recovered.

I then found it necessary to replenish my pockets to complete my journey and have the means to procure a licence, tools, etc, at the diggings, so I started for the head station, where I engaged to work during the shearing season for 30 shillings a week, plus keep.

One night as I lay asleep I was bitten on my left hand by a snake. Involuntarily, I put out my right hand to find out what was wrong and I was bitten again on the second finger of that hand on the top joint. I held on to my enemy until a light was procured by which time the snake had entwined my right arm and taken a coil around my neck with its tail.

There were 14 men in the hut with me but none of them would lay a hold of the snake which still had hold of my right finger, so I placed my hand on a table and cut its head off with a knife; it gradually uncoiled itself and was found to measure between four and five feet. It was a diamond snake concerning which no one knew anything further other than dogs had been bitten by them and died. This, you will agree, was not the most agreeable intelligence, especially as on enquiry I learned the nearest doctor was about 200 miles away.

I sucked the poison out of the wounds as best I could, cauterised them and applied warm olive oil and poultices. Medical assistance appeared essential and so I headed off for Geelong. The station manager lent me a horse to take me as far as Black Swamp, thirty miles away, and a letter to the overseer there to lend me another.

Unfortunately, he was not at home on my arrival, so I left my horse and set out to walk 170 miles. My left arm was swelling rapidly and the pain was excruciating, so much so that I barely slept a minute for the next eight days.

A doctor at Geelong dosed me with laudunum. He soon reduced the inflammation, but my hand broke out into a wound of the worst description which defied for four months all attempts to heal. As you can see my left hand is almost useless, two fingers are grown together, Siamese fashion, as far as the middle joint and I will never be able to close my hand. The only wonder is that I have a hand left, for the doctors I consulted at Geelong, Melbourne and Adelaide were almost unanimous in their wish for amputation, but I stuck out against it, and am glad now that I was so obstinate.

A great wonder is that I survived to tell the adventure of my overland trip. Nevertheless I am taking a few weeks off to try my luck at the Echunga goldfield. the accounts of which are very good. I mean to obtain at least half a hundredweight before next winter and you may be assured that I shall keep a close look out for snakes.

General Notes

The gold fever in New South Wales is reported upon in the Register,
10, 13, 20 and 23 June 1851, pages 2a, 2b, 2d and 2c,
1 and 30 July 1851, pages 2b and 3e,
21, 25 and 26 August 1851, pages 2d, 2c and 2b,
15 October 1851, page 2c.

Its discovery in Victoria is reported in the Register,
30 June 1851, page 2d-e,
13 October 1851, page 3b; also see
Adelaide Times,
26 July 1851, page 1e,
25 October 1851, page 5c.

"The Gold Malady" is in the Register,
23 October 1851, page 2c-e; also see
25 and 27 October 1851, pages 2c and 3c,
8, 22, 24 and 30 December 1851, pages 2e, 2e, 3e and 2e,
14 January 1852, pages 2e-3d.

An 1850s sketch titled "The Run for Gold" is in the Observer,
14 May 1904, page 25.

An editorial on a proposed Government reward for gold discovered in South Australia is in the Register,
20 December 1851, page 2d; also see
31 December 1851, page 2d,
3, 6, 12, 17 and 31 January 1852, pages 3a, 3c, 2e, 3b and 3c,
25 June 1852, page 3e and Place Names - Echunga.

"Confessions of a Goldseeker" is in the Observer,
21 February 1852, page 5c.

"Gold and Currency" is discussed in the Register,
13 January 1852, page 2d; also see
14, 16, 17, 20, 27 and 29 January 1852, pages 3d, 3e, 2e, 3a, 2e and 2d,
6 March 1852, page 2e,
24 May 1852, page 2e,
19 and 29 June 1852, page 3a and 2e,
1 and 31 July 1852, pages 2d and 3a,
10 August 1852, page 2e,
1, 4 and 20 October 1852, pages 3d, 2c (supp.) and 3a,
19 January 1853, page 3a,
23 and 26 February 1853, pages 3c and 3a.
Also see South Australia - Banking and Finance - General Finance - Miscellany

"Adelaide's Emergency Mint" is in The Mail,
27 June 1925, page 1f,
"The South Australian Bubble" in the Observer,
10 July 1852, page 5b.

"The Adelaide Sovereign" is in the Express,
5 September 1907, page 4g,
"First Australia Gold Coins - Minted in Adelaide" is in the Observer,
8 November 1924, page 16a.
"The Australian Gold Fever" is in the SA Gazette & Mining Journal,
10 January 1852, page 4c.

"Suggestions for the Relief of the Currency Difficulty" is in the Observer,
17 January 1852, pages 3c-4e.

"The Present Difficulty" is in the Register,
19 January 1852, page 3a-c.

"The Overland Route to Mount Alexander" is discussed in the Register,
15 and 31 January 1852, pages 3a and 3d,
11 February 1852, page 3a,
16 and 26 March 1852, pages 2e and 2e,
2 April 1852, page 2e,
12 and 21 August 1852, pages 2e and 3b; also see
Observer,
21 August 1852, page 4d.
Also see under South Australia - Police and Geoffrey H. Manning (ed.), The Memoirs of Thomas Frost.

A resignation of police to enable them to go to the diggings is in the Register,
23 January 1852, page 3a.

"The Assay Office" is discussed in the Register,
10 and 11 February 1852, pages 2e and 3e,
19 and 22 March 1852, pages 2a and 3c,
16 and 22 April 1852, pages 3b and 2e,
15 May 1852, page 3a,
17 February 1853, pages 2d and 3c.

"Absentees and Their Families" is in the Register,
3 February 1852, page 2e.

"Confessions of a Gold Seeker" is in the Register,
21 February 1852, page 3b:

The average rate at the diggings is five making fortunes, 45 making good wages and 50 starving out of every 100. (Register, 1 March 1852, page 3a.)

For further personal accounts see Register,
2 and 23 March 1852, pages 2e and 3d,
7, 14 and 17 April 1852, pages 3e, 3e and 3e,
19 July 1852, page 3c,
29 November 1852, page 3a,
3 March 1853, page 3d,
17 October 1853, page 3b,
29 May 1854, page 3f,
29 June 1854, page 3c.

Information on the gold escorts is in the Register,
19, 20, 22 and 26 March 1852, pages 2e, 2e, 2e and 3a,
16, 21 and 28 April 1852, pages 2e, 3e and 3a,
4, 5 and 7 May 1852, pages 2e, 3b and 3a,
21 June 1852, page 2e,
7 and 10 July 1852, pages 3a and 3a,
11 and 20 August 1852, pages 2d and 2d,
17 September 1852, page 2e,
11 October 1852, page 3a.

Also see Register,
18 and 22 November 1852, pages 3e and 2e,
3, 4, 5, 15 and 16 March 1853, pages 3e, 3a, 2d, 2e and 2e,
13 April 1853, page 3a,
13 and 27 September 1853, pages 2f and 3b,
27 March 1854, page 3a,
29 May 1854, pages 2f-3b,
Adelaide Times,
10 August 1852, page 3d.
The reminiscences of Thomas Coward are in the Register,
5 July 1904, page 7g,
Observer,
9 July 1904, page 38a. Also see under Place Names - Coward Springs
of J. Whiting in the Observer,
23 January 1915, pages 28 (photo.)-43a.

Troubles with the "Escort Police" is in the Register,
19, 20 and 28 August 1852, pages 2e, 2d and 2e.

"Tolmer's Gold Patrol" is in the Advertiser,
18 August 1936, page 18e.
Members of the gold escorts of the 1850s found in the Destitute
Asylum are commented upon in the Register,
14 February 1884, page 5b; also see
15 May 1888, page 5c.
A photograph of the last surviving members of the escorts is in the Chronicle,
10 December 1904, page 28.

Articles on gold escorts are in the Chronicle,
6, 13 and 20 February 1936, pages 51, 50 and 50.

A proposal for a private overland escort is discussed in the Observer,
31 December 1853, page 2f (supp.).

"Look Before You Leap" is in the Observer,
3 April 1852, page 6b.

"Passengers To and From Melbourne by Sea" is in the Register,
31 March 1852, page 3a,
3 and 7 April 1852, pages 3b and 3a,
"The Deficiciences of Passenger Vessels Between Adelaide and Melbourne" in the Observer,
17 April 1852, page 4e.
Information on the brig Tritan is in the Observer,
10 July 1852, page 6a.

The working of the Assay Office is explained in the Observer,
17 April 1852, page 7d.

"The South Australians at Mount Alexander" is in the Observer,
17 April 1852, page 3a.

"The Tolmer Testimonial Fund" is in the Register,
10 May 1852, page 3a,
"Insufficiency of Silver Coin" on
11 May 1852, page 2e,
"Proposed Assistance to Unsuccessful Diggers" on
29 May 1852, page 3a,
5, 12 and 18 June 1852, pages 3a, 2e and 3b.

"Proposed Assistance to Unsuccessful Diggers" is in the Observer,
29 May 1852, page 4e,
5 and 12 June 1852, pages 4e and 4e.

Southam's Gold Washing Machine is described in the Adelaide Times,
19 June 1852, page 3c,
22 July 1852, page 4e.

"The New Gold Currency" is discussed in the Register,
30 July 1852, page 3a,
"A Mint for South Australia" on
16 August 1852, page 2e.

Sections for sale in the "Hundred Mile Scrub", and conditions appertaining thereto, is reported in the Register, 4 August 1852, page 3a.

"Social Effect of the Gold Discoveries" is in the Observer,
18 September 1852, page 7a.

"Great Meeting at Moonlight Flat" is in the Observer,
13 November 1852, page 8a.

The dearth of chimney sweeps due to their departure for the goldfields is lamented in a letter to the Register on 8 February 1853, page 3e:

Register

A "Gold Diggers' Dinner" is in the Register,
14 January 1854, page 3d.

"The Chinese on the Overland Route" is in the Register,
14 June 1856, page 2c; also see
21 June 1856, page 2g,
9 August 1856, page 3g.
"The Chinese on the Overland Route" is in the Observer,
9 August 1856, page 2d.

"Incidents in the Life of a Victorian Digger - By a South Australian" is in the Register,
5 October 1857, page 3g,
3 and 9 November 1857, pages 3g and 3h.

A proposed gold escort to the Snowy River diggings is discussed in the Register,
26, 27 and 28 March 1860, pages 2f, 3f and 2f.

Reminiscences of an excursion to the Victorian goldfields are in the Register,
16 November 1886, page 6c; also see
Advertiser,
31 December 1902, page 6g,
Chronicle,
3, 10 and 17 January 1903, pages 31c,16a and 35d,
Express,
9 January 1903, page 1g.
Sketches are in the Pictorial Australian in
May 1886, pages 72, 73 and 92.
Also see Geoffrey H. Manning (ed.), The Memoirs of Thomas Frost.

"Romance of Digging Days - Rush From Adelaide" is in the Register,
22 May 1899, page 7a,
Observer,
27 May 1899, page 34a.

"In the Days Long Ago - A Lady's Recollections" is in the Advertiser,
6 January 1905, page 8g.

The reminiscences of F.W.A. Klauer at the Victorian gold fields are in the Register,
18 August 1906, page 7e,
Observer,
25 August 1906, page 38c.

"Echunga to Bendigo", William Gratwick's diary, is reproduced in the Advertiser,
23 and 30 November 1907, pages 13c and 10a.
The reminiscences of E. Bright appear on
29 January 1910, page 10f,
James Creasy on
25 February 1916, page 7f,
George McLeish on
5 May 1916, page 7b,
John Maddern on
18 April 1917, page 6i.

The reminiscences of John Halliday are in the Register,
13 July 1908, page 5g,
of Thomas H. Parker on
29 July 1908, page 6e.

"The Artist of the Goldfields [S.T. Gill]" is in the Register,
26 November 1920, page 8g.

The reminiscences of J.H. Wiles are in the Register,
22 March 1923, page 7f.

"An Historic Spot - Memories of the Gold Rush" is in the Register,
26 May 1926, page 10h.

The reminiscences of James Lamb are in The Mail,
17 May 1930, page 21a.

A Gold Digger's Story

Many men decided to sail to Melbourne during the closing months of 1851 and, at that time, entrepreneurs in Adelaide were chartering schooners, and any other sailing craft they could lay their hands on, for the voyage around to Port Phillip. Few of them carried skilled navigators and as a consequence many went down at sea, while others crashed on to the Otway cliffs at night and so the dream of wealth for many ended with the green sea in their lungs and a stark body tossed up by the breakers.

Upon his return in May 1852 one young man told of his experiences following the arrival of the party in Melbourne:

After making many enquiries, we found a man who engaged to take us to the diggings by paying him one pound a head for the conveyance of our chattels and the privilege of walking by the side of his cart. Our friend, the driver, having very consistently lightened all our purses, proceeded about two miles on the first day and then returned to Melbourne with his horses leaving us to encamp for the night near a filthy waterhole.

The next morning we purchased from a passing milk-woman two pails of milk which we enjoyed very much. In mid-afternoon the driver returned and we resumed our journey, leaving behind us all traces of civilisation. All before and around us appeared to be one immense sheep-run and our thoughts wandered back to villages and gardens at home. At the end of the third day we had made about 30 miles of our pilgrimage and camped for the night in a wood. As it had been raining all evening we made a bonfire of what wood we could collect, but by morning we were extremely cold and comfortless.

Nothing of importance occurred until the sixth day of our departure from Melbourne when we reached the goldfields. My first emotions were of indescribable sadness. I could not divest myself of the idea that I was standing in the midst of an immense graveyard. The grim appearance of the diggers; the anxiety depicted in every face; the horrid stench exhaled from the slaughter yards by a burning summer's sun, excited feelings which, to be understood, must first be realised. We saw many whom we knew, but all were so absorbed by their pursuits as to forget, or to be unable to offer, the ordinary civilities of human life.

Shortly after our arrival my companions left me in charge of the tent and luggage for a few hours and, as I stood unprotected from the sun's rays, I soon found myself exceedingly giddy, a feeling which was followed by violent retching. I was, as I learned afterwards, sun struck. At length my mates returned and, having fixed the tent, and cut down a large tree for firewood, we fell to our evening meal, resolving to take everything by the smooth handle and be as happy as we could.

We had the pleasure of sleeping several times during the first night, the intervals being agreeably employed in listening to the harmonious sounds produced by the firing of pistols, the barking of dogs and the tramping of horses in hobbles, combined in chorus. The next morning our party set to work in real earnest and, in spite of attacks of dysentery, which we all experienced, we managed to reach the pipe-clay at the depth of ten feet on the fourth day. For our labour we found small portions of gold.

It was a curious sight to see the diggings for it was like a large honeycomb and very dangerous to walk about after nightfall for fear of walking into holes. Scores of men left the place, disgusted with the manner in which they had to live. There were plenty of sly grog shops there and they only charged one shilling a glass for their poison. The celebrated coloured lady, Mrs Finch, from Adelaide had her tent and stock burnt one night for grog selling and was ordered off the ground.

Inspector Tolmer, with four troopers and a driver arrived one day with a spring cart and a pair of horses, together with a small iron safe. Notices were nailed on trees and two days were spent in receiving the gold. Mr Tolmer took up his quarters next to ours. Mr Carleton of Adelaide, whose wife was the author of the words of the 'Song of Australia', and our party had the honour of supplying him and the trooper (Mr Cusack) he had with him as guard, with meals each day.

Mr Tolmer received the bags of gold dust at a small makeshift counter, weighed each lot, gave a receipt for same, then passed the gold to Mr Cusack, who sat over the safe with a revolver in his belt. By the afternoon of the second day the safe was all but full and Mr Tolmer decided to start off that night.

Orders were sent for the troopers and cart just after tea and they drew up in front of the tent amidst a great crowd of diggers, who lined the track on both sides for some distance, the Victorians shouting, hooting and groaning, the Adelaideans replying with cheers. It was a strange sight, we all felt the danger of the position, except perhaps Mr Tolmer and his men, who appeared strangers to fear, and were perfectly calm and cool.

The driver kept his seat, while the others carried out the safe and bolted it securely to the cart. Then Mr Tolmer called out "Mount, my lads", then shouted "Draw", and their sabres flashed in the moonlight. Tolmer took the lead and called out "March", and off they went, as a tremendous ringing cheer from the Adelaide diggers drowned all other cries.

After a a further week of fossicking we removed to Golden Gully, near Bendigo, where we were lucky enough to strike open a "pocket" a few pounds weight of gold. This news spread like wildfire and within a few hours we were surrounded by hundreds of people marking out claims. Then followed a torrent of teams, bearing tents, tarpaulins, provisions and implements.

Stores sprung up like mushrooms, but much more rapidly, and in a few hours what was but a quiet little woodland became a dense mass of tents and mounds of earth. In this way became notable gullies named Ironbark, Long, American, Californian, Tatiara, Tipperary, Providence, Peg-leg, Eagle-hawk and numerous others, some with names less mentionable. It was worthy of observation that all of them ran northward and southward, while the creek flowed eastward and westward.

One day I walked along one of the new gullies I recognised a farmer from Adelaide with two covered carts, so busily engaged in counting sovereigns and weighing gold, that I had to wait some minutes before he had a hand at liberty to shake mine. He told me he had brought up from Melbourne two loads of flour, the produce of his farm, which he was transferring to eager customers as rapidly, in proportion to bulk, as a baker dispenses rolls on a frosty morning.

A few days before Christmas Day of 1851 we were sitting around our camp fire when some diggers from New South Wales joined us and during the evening they frequently referred to us as "Crow eaters". They explained that a party from Adelaide had travelled overland to the diggings and arrived in a very hard-up state. While crossing the 90-mile desert they ran out of tucker and were forced to shoot crows for food and, on relating their experience, they were dubbed "crow-eaters" and it appears that the term was applied afterwards to every new arrival from the central colony.

When the winter of 1852 arrived I was beset with a longing for my family and, accordingly, following the blessings of my companions decided to go home. I started with a damper to eat and a driver of a two-horse cart, to whom I gave one pound for the conveyance of my bundles. About five miles from the diggings my fellow-traveller stopped at a waterhole to give the horses a drink, when the obstinate cart followed them over the bank, heedless of his cries of "woa! woa!" In a few minutes men and horses, cart and harness, baskets and bundles, bags and boxes, even the poor unoffending damper might be seen in a pretty pickle, covered with a compound of dust, mud and water.

At the end of the next four miles we stopped again, made tea and ate the remainder of the damper. This was our last meal until we reached a town about 20 miles from the diggings. I forget its name but it contained six or seven buildings, finished and unfinished, besides a public house and a baker's shop.

Seeing a quantity of bread in the latter we determined upon patronising its owner and, accordingly, after knocking at the door several times and shouting for bread, we were answered by a gruff voice from within which informed us that none was to be had - they had gone to bed and would not be disturbed.

We determined, however, to try his patience, which in about an hour and a half gave way and we had the pleasure of receiving orders to go to the bakehouse in the rear, where we purchased two small loaves. Congratulating ourselves upon our success we resolved to devour the loaves on the spot, but on pulling them apart we found the middle to consist of mere dough, just adhesive enough to allow it to be drawn out into a thread.

We pressed on another four miles, tethered the horses and camped for the night. The following morning we set light to a dead tree and made tea. At midday we came upon another waterhole where we had dinner. We sat upon the grass and chatted about the hearths and homes and friends we had left in England and South Australia; of the frolics of our childhood and the scenes and circumstances of our youth.

In the meantime our horses had strayed, but after walking about 12 miles or so each. we had the satisfaction to find them in a gully within half a mile of our camp! We then determined to push forward and arrived at a spot within 27 miles of Melbourne that evening. In the night we again started forward, having mistaken the light of a clouded moon for daybreak.

In Melbourne I found an old friend from Norwood who contrived to smuggle me into one of the crowded rooms of the Freemason's Family Hotel, at which I obtained meals for the day and lodgings for the night, my friend having kindly given up his bed to me whilst he slept on the floor.

The following night I went early to bed and in about half-an-hour I heard footsteps approaching, when a man entered the room and threw the light of a candle full upon my face, as if seeking to recognise my features. A similar process was repeated three times, the last being an old hag of a woman, whose repulsive features, as seen through my half-closed eyelids, made me shudder.

Still later in the night a drunken man came blundering into the room, threw himself by my side and in five minutes was snoring away lustily, In consequence of an open window the room was infested with a variety of bugs and, alas, I did not sleep a wink. By daybreak I had made my escape by leaving via a rear entrance and climbing three or four fences before I attained the open street. Before nightfall I contrived to obtain lodgings with a respectable family where I remained until the Maid of Auckland sailed for Adelaide.

We had to contend with a head wind for three days after raising our anchor in Hobson's Bay, but during the delay and slow progress I found some amusement in fishing. Finally, a fair wind sprung up and we cut through the water at a spanking rate and made the Port Adelaide lightship after seven days out from Melbourne. A few hours later I was at home in Norwood.

My fellow diggers came home a few months later having met with no further success and following the collection of the proceeds of our gold from the Assay Office in Adelaide, and defraying our expenses, we were fortunate enough to distribute a dividend of about �100 per man.

(Sources for the above exposition may be found in Geoffrey H. Manning's A Colonial Experience, Chapter 15)

South Australia - Gold Fever of the 1850s

See Also:

Richard Clode - The Frustrated Gold Seeker

General Notes

A Gold Digger's Story