THE NEW WEST AUSTRALIAN GOLDFIELD.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 767, 12 November 1886, Page 30

THE NEW WEST AUSTRALIAN GOLDFIELD.

The Waukaringa goldfield, as we have already stated, is about 225 mile 3 to the northward of Adelaide, lying about N.N.E. About twelve or fourteen miles to the eastward is Teetulpa, where the recent rush has taken place. Doth are easy of access. Petersburg is a station on the north line about 150 miles north from Adelaide, and thence there is a line in course of construction eastward to Silverton, on the Ne» South Wales, border. Trains can run over a considerable portion of th 6 line, though it is still in the contractors’ hands, and it is usual to leave the railway at Mannahill, a station about 80 miles from Petersburg. From Mannahill it is only 18 or 20 miles to the Teetulpa diggings, and it was intended to run a coach three times a week. From the South Australian Chronicle of October 23, we take the following extracts, which will be of interest. A reporter who visited the field says :—- The Teetulpa diggings, the scene of the present rush, lie in the north-eastern paddock of the Teetulpa run, and the work is at- present chiefly confined to a small dry gully or watercourse running from south-west to north-east. It i 3 scarcely sufficiently well-defined to deserve the name of a creek, and would only run when there had been a heavy fall of rain on the neighboring rises. There is nothing to particularly indicate the presence of gold about the general look of the place, and the first find was made almost by chance. One of the first men who came out of the tents on the bank of the gully to meet the warden (it was the dinner hour when he arrived) was Thos. Brady, who, along with his partner, T. Smith, found the first nuggets, and has in consequence claimed the Government reward of LIOOO for the discovery of a payable alluvial goldfield. In reply to questions he said —“ It was Tuesday afternoon, October 5, that I found the first gold, just about the centre of the gully. We had then been searching about a. week. We pieked up about an ounce and a half, and then we took out about four buckets of stuff, but could find nothing more by turning it over. Then we washed it, getting another half ounce, or about _ 2oz in an hour and a half. I was at Bendigo in 1852, and was the first to mark a hole in the California Gully. This place is not like the Bendigo gullies in appearance, but there are gullies not far from here exactly like those of early Victorian diggings. I have been about six miles north-east of this, and there I think it looks exceedingly well for gold. I am certain they will get it on the flats, and I believe no one ever saw so much gold got so soon without water as here. I believe many pounds worth of gold is being thrown away every day, owing to inability to wash the dirt. None has been washed, except just here and there a little trial in a dish. The bottom of the gully is all slaty, just like where we got the first gold, and I believe it will yet be one of the finest fields in Australia. My son and Smith have picked up several nice nuggets, one about an ounce and another about half that weight. All the gold I have seen is smooth and water-worn ; a little quartz is jammed on to some of the pieces, but it is easily picked out. The first finds were made in the bottom of the gully, but now they are also picking it out of the sides.” On the Saturday after the first find about 30 men were on the ground, and the number is now reckoned by the warden at over 150. The largest nugget which has yet been discovered was taken out on Friday by a miner named Byrnes. It was thought at first to be over 5 ounces in weight, but when placed on the scales at Waukaringa it went 4oz 13dwt. This find was made just where a smaller water-course joins the main gully (which has bben called by Mr Hack "Brady’s Gully,” after the discoverer). On Saturday Smith found about 2oz in small nuggets ; another man named Varrel found loz on the same day. Along with his party of six the latter has been successful in getting over 3oz in two days, having searched without result during the first part of the week. The sinking has hitherto all been in the bed of the creek, down to 7ft in depth, and all the gold has been got out of the wash brought down from the higher slopes by the flood waters of many years. The gully begins

near the foot of a low hill, and only runs l a few hundred yards before there is asndden drop in the soil. After this thebottom deepens considerably, and the watercourse winds its way along ia the direction of Salt Creek, which it subsequently joins. A number of claims have' been pegged out higher up the gully, above the break in the ground (about 4 feet deep), below which the precious metal ha 3 hithertobeen found, but so far only the color has been obtained. It ia impossible to say whatthe permanent value of this alluvial field will be until water is provided, and. thestuffcanbe washed. It is suggested that a bore should be put down some distance up the gully, and a supply would then be run down to enable the miners to test their claims fairly. Another way to try the stuff would be to cart it to Tonkin’s‘Well, about two and a half miles to the east, and probably an arrangement could be made with the llessee for this purpose. The well is about thirty feet deep, has a plentiful supply, and is worked by a small engine. At present the pick and shovel and the knife for scraping the rocks are the only means employed for finding gold, and of courseonly what is visible to the eye can be picked out. Mr Wade, the lessee of the Teetulpa Station, has kindly allowed the miners to cart the water from one of histdams, situated a mile and a half from the field, and beside which some dozen tents have been pitched. It is calculated that claims extending about half a mile along the ,bed of the creek are being profitably worked, but a considerably greater distance has been altogether taken up and tried, probably a mile and a half. There is nothing as yet to justify any large rush to the spot, although the prospects are good. Digging for the gold, if I may so term it, is a simple task. The gravel and slate rock is easily worked with knives, and,, in fact, any instrument composed of steel or iron. Directly the men got the scent of the gold, they produced a variety of tools, such as shear blades, and commenced turning up the gravel and cutting the slatey rock. Some of the men we saw had just commenced operating, and had not bottomed, but they were in the best of spirits. We followed thecreek or depression where the first men had started work and found over 50 finding gold, a quantity being taken oufc in our presence.

The cost of living is not more 12s per week, but a man could take with him on to the ground pretty well enough rations to keep him going for two or three weeks, and people who are not inclined to give a few weeks’ actual laborin trying to find payable gold should not go there. There are two storekeepers, and they are making arrangements toget up a good stock of provisions, and. the prices now asked are reasonable. Good meat can be obtained there at about Adelaide prices, and there ia a fairsupply of “ bunnies ” for those who prefer more delicate food.

Of course, since the above appeared, there has been a great influx of people to the field.