The Coolgardie Goldfields

New Zealand Tablet, 24 September 1908, Page 33

The Coolgardie Goldfields

In the history of gold-digging many a romantic and tragic tale is found, but few of these possess more interest than that of how .the famous" Coolgardie mines were discovered abojit sixteen years ago. . Luck played" a great part in the discovery, but perseverance, -lob, -had its. share in it. - In April, 1892, two Victorian miners, named Bayley and Ford, struck out for the North-East of Australia, but after traversing 250 miles they lost their horses and had to turn back. Equipped with fresh horses, they started again on what proved to be a long, tedious, . ancl futile journey, for once more they were forced*' to turn back — this time for want of water. The third attempt won them fame and fortune.

First, they found that which to them was more precious than gold— namely, water. They found a natural well, known to the scattered tribes of that far-away country as ' Coolgardie ' Pitching their "camp beside the well, they turned their horses out to feed and started prospecting the country around. Ford picked up a -half-ounce nugget, and before night they had gathered in over twenty ounces of gold. Two or three weeks' more surface prospecting was rewarded with over two hundred ounces. By this time food supplies had given out, so, keeping their own counsel concerning their discoveriesrtfiey returned to civilisation, laid in a fresh' stock, of provisions, and hastened back to their El Dorado.

Within a few. days' of .their, return they happened upon the reef that made Coolgardief Beginning with a 'slug' weighing 5002, they picked out from" a cap of that reef in a few hours upwards of 5000Z of goia. Bayley, carrying 55402 of gold, journeyed, back to. the nearest mining town, exhibited his find to the Mining Warden, put in a claim. for a lease of the land on which this marvellous discovery had been made, and hurried off to the field again with a- party that numbered 150 men, besides coaches - and' horses, and all the " paraphernalia of prospecting and camping. In their wake in course of time came gold-seekers hi hundreds and - thousands. From Bayley ■ and Ford's mine there was taken in the first nine' years of its history i34,0000z of^ gold, valued at

Almost as sensational as Coolgardie were the Londonderry and Wealth of Nations^ 'finds.' The Londonderry was dis covered by a party of unsuccessful prospectors "on their way back to Coolgardie. ,Two of them picked up some rich gold-bearing specimens.- After a brief search the outcrop of a reef was exposed,., from which, in" the course of a few days, they took out from 4000 to 5000 -ounces of gold. From -the cap of the Wealth of Nations, reef, .gold to the value of. was secured in a few 'days. " • '