COOLGARDIE

Hokitika Guardian, 22 November 1932, Page 8

COOLGARDIE

THU RICHEST GOLDFIELD. The richest goldfield of Western Australia lias been known as East Ooolgardie, wrote a correspondent of the Brisbane “Telegraph,”' in the issue of October 3 last. It contains famous Kalgoorlie—discovered by a prospector named Hannan in 1893 Boulder, and other rich mines in and around the celebrated Golden Mile. The East Ooolgardie has been n treasure ground, yielding, to the end of 1931, a total, of 22,727,942 ounces of fine gold! More than a hundred mil;!iprt pounds, worth! "riTltCi. ]Je,Y (I .. B. E. Chapman is a h]iap|,w.eli. i qyajified the store of •■ijjrplgfbiklie. An Associate of the South Australian. School of Mires, he was for v< irs a mot'dlurgisi at Ooolgardie before he entered the 1 Chriroh. 1 Today he is the nrVster of the Congregational Church at Chats wood, Sydney. And on e of his p-wi-lron-rs also’ living at Chatswood— though few men know that he' is still alive—is William .Ford.

William Ford, with Arthur Bnvlev, dVoovered ' the rich goldfields of ’ Cool-' gardie. DTSOOVERY ■REPORTED. On September 17, 1892 fwrites the Rev.' Mr Chapman) , a solitary 'horseman named Arthur Bavley, rode into' Southern ‘ Crn«sv’ made liis way id the office of Warden Firinerty, 'and '■ reported that he and his mate, William Ford, h"d discovered a pen’ go]')’field 178 miles in an easterly direction". As orodf .of the truth of his' statement, and of the richness of the new find, he hrodneed 540 oUnc'es of ’gold,' worth about £2OOO. ' •' ■ ‘.‘The day following, a Sunday, immediately afW dinner, the ' whole oophlntion of. Southern Cross, except- a few Government officials and two or three hotelVmers. left for what was ’-nnwn as R-vley’s, or riior e 'widely knoivu as Conlgardie. “William Ford is of a very retiring disposition, and for that reason has never received the credit rightly d"e to him in connection with the disrovorv of the rich leads at Ooolgardie in 1892. Indeed, so mirh has lie'lived in retirement that his derith Ins twice to his knowledge been proclaimed, o.ittino amid a crowd of wen ore dav in Sydney, be heard his neighbour discourse on the goldfields of the We c t. nrvfi declare ‘but both Bavlev and Ford have passed.out.’ This was too mu oh for even hiis retii i"g di-position, and he promptly declared he. was Ford and' very much ah’ve. “Bv chapoe Ford met Bavlev, who had, left the Murchison in 1892, and had no plans feir the future. ' Ford wak making for Southern Cross, intending to try the country bevoncl. He suggested that Bayley should throw in his lot with him, and lie agreed to do So; """ SURPRISE FOR. HIS MATE,. “A few short months sufficed to make these two men famous. Ford wak the one who first found gold l at Coolgardie. He collected specimens and took them back to- camp as a pleasant surprise to his mate. “There was no argument as to who wys to report the find. Ford told Barley to go back to “The Cross’ and pji»<lv for a reward claim, and then hni’ry hack; in the meantime lie would attend to the pegging out cl the ground. So Bayley made the report it fvas Bayley’s Tiiid,’ and Ford’s pert was almost , forgotten. l ßut the doughty, tough William- .ford eared nofi a jot whothe' he got credit or not. He worked his c'.aim with Bayley, then sold out; And went bablc east. The place was for long known as Bavley’s, t,h<j main thoroughfare was called ‘Bayley’ Street. Ford's name was not perpetuated.