Australian ‘gold diggings’ detailed in letters home (1852)
During this week in 1852 the News Letter published extracts from Australian newspapers, which had reached the Belfast office, relating to the ongoing “goldrush” in the states of New South Wales, what would eventually be Victoria, Tasmania and Queensland.
They, of course, excited atmosphere pertaining to the “goldrush”, indeed you can almost taste the arid Australian dust and sand as you read through the extracts.
Turon, New South Wales
Dated November 5, 1851: “During Saturday and Sunday last we had very cold, wet, tempestuous weather, which rendered a residence in a frail tent on the Turon ridges anything but pleasant; it has, however, now quite cleared up, and there is every appearance of dry weather having finally set in.
“On Saturday several tents were blown down on various points on the river, and others were split or otherwise injured. The Lord Bishop of Sydney is up here at present, and is stopping at the commissioner's quarters at Maitland Point. He performed divine service there on Sunday, and arrangements are being made for its regular performance here.
“There is nothing new to communicate respecting the diggings, further than that the rise in the river, although now subsiding, continues seriously to impede the progress of persons digging in the bed.
“In fact, many have been driven away entirely by the Hood, and I should suspect that it will occasion considerable loss to the government, as many who have been obliged to vacate them will leave without paying the license fee for this month.
“I think I may safely venture to say that, at least, five hundred persons have been driven away within a mile and a half of this point, the majority of whom have no dry diggings to fly to.
“The present system of licensing the diggers is beginning to cause some dissatisfaction here, more particularly since the commissioners have issued an order requiring all diggers to attend at Maitland Point to procure their licenses, instead of their following up the old plan of coming round themselves to collect them.
“A public meeting will be held at Sofala on Saturday next, when it is intended that the whole system shall be taken into consideration.”
The letter continued: “On Tuesday I attended at Maithnd Point to obtain my license, and had the satisfaction of having to wait two hours before I could get it, the crowd of applicants being very considerable.
“The sergeant and troopers on duty there acted very fairly, causing those who had waited longest to go in first, without respect to their station in life; and although the sun was broiling, and my toes were trod on by the sergeant in his attempt to keep the crowd off the ropes of the tent, still, as I saw that they strove to distribute, in their little way, equal justice to all, I did not feel much inclined to find fault.
“One man who went who went in, seeing 30s on the table, which had been paid by the applicant, taking advantage of the commissioner's eyes being turned from him, took it up, and put it down again in payment of his own license, but although the movement escaped the notice of the commissioner, the trooper outside espied his motion, and the fellow was obliged to refund.”