DIGGERS’ NAMES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21828, 15 December 1932, Page 11

DIGGERS’ NAMES

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —The renewed activity in gold mining on the Kawarau and in Westland has put in my mind an old collection of diggers’ names which I had lying by me, but unclassifiable as place names. I should be very grateful if any of your readers could add to this collection. There must be many more of which I know nothing, but which would be of value to that particular period of our history. Some I do know the locality of, others not at all. Eccentricity and freakishness are abundant, but also a certain amount of bidden history of a kind which has unfortunately been lost. Such authorities as “ Old Identity ” could no doubt tell us much, and there must be even now people who know why some of these names were given. I subjoin some of the names which I do know the locality of, but not the origin:—Victoria Diggings (Moa Creek), Dunstan Diggings, Gardener’s Station Frindburn, Minzion’s, Newton’s, Howe’s, Manuerika Junction Dunstan (Clyde), Welshman’s Gully (Cambrian), Tinkers (Matanika), Dunstan Creek (before 1857), St. Bathans, Skippers, Maori Point, Poison Creek (Cromwell), Newcastle (Albertown), Bannockburn—Smith’s Gully, Adam Gully, Shepherd's Creek, Pipeclay Gully, Doctor’s Flat, Nokomai, Hit-or-miss Spur, Moffatt’s Flat, Sebastopol Co., Conroy’s (Dustan), Butcher’s Gully, Blackman Gully, Potter’s Gully (Nokomai), Sailor’s Gully (Hindon), Holy Joe’s Gully (Waitahuna), O.P.Q. (Waipori), Bowlers (Evans Flat), Bingtown (Lawrence). Goldfields abounded in queerly named claims. For instance, on the Thames goldfield, Alburnia, Blooming Box, Brickmakers, Cuckoo Dairy, Dan O’Connell, Shellback Creek, Madman’s Gully, Harriet Home, Jamaica, Jews, Johnny Groats, Paddy Mahoy or Poor Man’s Hope, Pretty Jane, Young Man’s Moon, besides names that date—Ballarat, Duchess of Kent, Kybcr Pass, Lord Ashley, etc. Any contributions will be gratefuly received, either explanations or fresh names, —I am, etc., E. Iv. Nevii.U.