GIPPSLAND OIL BOOM

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXXIII, Issue 65, 11 September 1924, Page 6

GIPPSLAND OIL BOOM

rush for claims. 40,000 ACRES RECCED. Melbourne, August 17. South Australian interests are arranging to sink another oil boro immediately at Lake Bunga, in the Gippsland district of Victoria. Joseph Coate has pegged out the whole township, which necessitates him notifying 300 landholders, and bo has set a clerical staff to work on this preliminary. He is now called “the Oil King.” Within three days 40.000 acres were pegged out. Visiting motorists, often headed by men with axes, cleared small saplings from the! path and ran into the thick scrub as far as 12 miles from the township, traversing creeks and gullies. One party, who drove into the bush for six miles, found further progress impossible, and abandoned the car and proceeded on foot. CLAIM OF 2000 ACRES. A motor party frdin Warmambool has claimed 2000 acres for Kric and Harry Connelly—racing men. _ Sydney people are active, and Adelaide men have made extensive observations. Coate believed that the Lake Bunga bore was on bis property whereas it is 21 feet oil the boundary, otherwise he would have received a farthing per gallon royalty on the oil. He refused an offer of a share in the first syndicate, which has claimed 4000 acres owned by him on each side of the plant. Ho is surveying his area to provide residential blocks. In view of the rush, be advocates that the Commonwealth Government should send the sum of £oO,OOU, which it promised as a reward for tn© first diseoveiw in Australia, to assis in exploratory work.