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This extract is taken from Gold, Bulletin No. 7, Department of Mines Geological Survey, Alfred James Kent, Sydney, 1924, by E.J. Kenny.
pp.5-9.
“THE following notes concerning the history of gold discovered in Australia are reprinted from ‘Mineral Resources of New South Wales,’ by E.F. Pittman : -
“ ‘The discovery of gold was destined to have a wonderful effect in the development of Australia, and it was in the mother colony (New South Wales) that the first traces of the precious metal were recognised, and also that the first goldfields were worked, although that did not happen until may years after gold was known to exist in the soil.
“ ‘1530-36. The ‘Dauphin Chart’ (a map of Australia, date 1530-36), which is preserved in the British Museum, and which is believed to have be reproduced from earlier Portuguese charts, makes it appear probable that the occurrence of gold in Australia was known to the Portuguese and Saniards more than 350 years ago, for the north-western coast of the siland is named on this chart ‘Casta D’Ouro’ (Gold Coast).’
“ * [Footnote - *See also J.H. Maiden and R.H. Cambage ‘Botanical, Topographical, and Geological notes on some routes of Allan Cunningham.’ Proc. Roy. Soc. N.S.W., vol. xliii, p. 137.] ‘1823. The first definite record of the discovery of gold, however, in this country is a note by Mr. James McBrien, Assistant Surveyor, in a field-book which he used while making a survey of the Fish River, between Rydal and Bathurst. This  Field-book is preserved in the plan room of the Department of Lands, in Sydney, and is registered as No. 205. The note is dated February 15th, 1823, and reads as follow : -
“ + [Footnote - + E signifies station at end of survey line.] ‘At E, I chain 50 links to river and marked gum-tree. At this place I found numerous particles of gold in the sand in the hills convenient to river.’
‘This locality is in portion 12, parish Eusdale, county Roxburgh, on the north side of the Fish River, three miles E.S.E. of Locksley Railway Station on the main Western line. {See Plan}
“It may be mentioned that the locality referred to by Mr. McBrien is of granite formation, and a considerable amount of gold was won from the soil in this neighbourhood by the process known as ‘surfacing.’ ‘
“1839. In the year 1839 Count P.E. Strzelecki, C.B., who was at that time engaged in a geological exploration of the colonies, discovered auriferous pyrites in the Vale of Clwydd. He furnished a report to the Government on the subject of his discovery, and stated that the pyrites yielded a very small quantity or proportion of gold, sufficient to attest its presence, insufficient to repay its extraction. Count Strzelecki published a work on the result of his explorations in the year 1845, but in this work he made no mention of the discovery of gold. Subsequently, however, in a supplement to his book (published in 1846), he explained, as a reason for his silence, that he had been requested by Sir George Gipps ‘to keep the matter secret for fear of the serious consequences of which, considering the condition and population of the colony, were to be apprehended.’ ‘
“ ‘Further proof of Count Strzlecki’s discovery is afforded by a letter from that nobleman to Mr. Thomas Walker, of Sydney, and dated Wellington, 16th October, 1839. This letter was forwarded by Mr. Walker to the editor of the Sydney Morning Herald, and was published in that journal on the 17th May, 1851. The following is an extract from the letter : -
“ ‘On this side of the Dividing Range the variety of rocks and embedded minerals augment; indications most positive of the existing silver and gold veins are met with. The want of means, however - that is, time and men - did not allow me to trace them to their proper sources. Why has the Government not sent heretofore a man of science and mineralogical and mining acquirements to lay open these sources of wealth still hidden beneath, and which may prove as beneficial to the state and individuals as the rest of the branches of Colonial industry ?’
“In a work entitled ‘Thirty Years’ Residence in New South Wales,’ by Judge Therry, another letter from Count Strzelecki, on the subject of his discovery, is quoted. This letter was addressed to Captain P. King, R.N., and was dated from Wellington, 26th October, 1839. The following is an extract from it : -
“ ‘I have specimens of excellent coal, some of fine serpentine with asbestos curious native alum, and brown hematite, fossil bones, and plants which I digged out from Boree and Wellington Caves; but particularly a specimen of native silver in hornblende rock, and gold in speck in silicate, both serving as strong indications of the existence of these precious metals in New South Wales.’
“ ‘1841. On the 13th and 14th February, 1841, the late Rev. W.B. Clarke, M.A., F.R.S., discovered gold ‘in the granite and quartziferous slates west of Hartley, near the heads of Cox’s River and Winburndale Rivulet.’ In 1842 he again discovered gold on the Wollondilly. In the year 1843 he announced his discovery to various members of the Legislature, and shortly afterwards made it known generally. On the 9th April, 1844, he reported the matter to the Governor, Sir George Gipps, and showed him the gold. The Governor, however, decided that it would be better to ‘put it away,’ as it might lead to dangerous consequences. Mr. Clarke also mentioned to a number of people his belief that gold would be found in large quantities in the Colony.’
“ ‘Sir Archibald Geikie, Director of H.M. Geological Survey of the United Kingdom, in his ‘Life of Murchison,’ thus refers to Mr. Clarke’s discovery of gold : -
“ ‘The first explorer who proclaimed the probable auriferous veins of Australia on true scientific grounds, that is, by obtaining gold in situ and tracing the parent rock, through the country, was the Rev. W.B. Clarke, M.A., F.R.S., who, originally a clergyman in England, has spent a long and laborious life in working out the geological structures of his adopted country, New South Wales. He found gold in 1841, and exhibited it to numerous Members of the Legislature, declaring, at the same time, his belief in its abundance. While, therefore, geologists, in Europe were guessing, he, having actually found the precious metal, was tracing its occurrence far and near on the ground.’
“ ‘1843-44. A shepherd, named Macgregor, is said to have found gold in the Wellington district in 1843-44. This matter is referred to at considerable length in a book entitled ‘Gold Deposits in Australia’ by Simpson Davison.
“The following is an extract from page 348 : -
“ ‘By inquiring on the spot I learnt that Macgregor had collected altogether gold of the value of about two hundred pounds sterling previously to the discovery of gold in placer deposits. This sum may appear to be small, but, considering that it was entirely obtained by breaking the surface quartz with a hammer, while following the occupation of sheep-tending, I should think that it not improbably represented a thousand seperate instances of gold-finding between the years 1841 to 1850.’
“ ‘1844, Sir Roderick Impey Murchison, in the year 1844, examined a collection of rock specimens brought from Australia by Count Strzelecki, and he pointed out the great similarity between these and the auriferous rocks of the Ural Mountains which he had recently investigated. He mentioned that the Australian Mountain Chain, or Cordillera (from which the specimens had been collected), differed from the Ural and many other mountain chains, ‘in having as yet offered no trace of gold or auriferous veins.’ In 1846, Sir Roderick wrote : -
‘ ‘I now learn, however, that fine specimens of gold have been found in the western flank of the Australian Cordillera, particularly at the settlement of Bathurst, where it occurs in fragments composed of the same matrix (viz. quartz rock) as in the Ural. My friend and associate at the Imperial Academy of Petersburg, Colonel Helmersen, has recently suggested that a careful search for gold in the Australian debris will, it is highly probable, lead to its detection in abundance; I therefore encouraged the unemployed miners of Cornwall to emigrate and dig for gold.’
“In due course Sir Roderick Murchison’s remarks were circulated in Australia, and were read by a Mr. W.J. Smith, amongst others. This gentleman, in 1848, forwarded some specimens of gold to Sir Roderick, and in 1849, he exhibited some more specimens to the Colonial Secretary. An official despatch, dated 11th June, 1851, from Sir C.A. Fitzroy to Earl Grey, specially refers to this matter in the following words : -
“ ‘About two years ago a Mr. Smith, who was engaged in some iron-works [the Fitzroy Ironworks at Mittagong] in the vicinity of Berrima, produced to the Colonial Secretary a lump of gold embedded in quartz, which he said he had picked up at a certain place which he offered to the Government upon being previously rewarded for the intelligence by the payment to him of a large sum. The obvious reply to this offer was, that the Government could enter into no blind bargain on such a subject, but that if Mr. Smith thought proper to trust to the liberality of the Government, he might rely on being rewarded in proportion to the vaue of the alleged discovery, when that was ascertained. Mr. Smith refused to accede to this offer, and there the matter rested.’
“ ‘1849. A shepherd boy was reported to have found a nugget of gold in the Pyrenees (Victoria) in the year 1849.’
“It would appear thus that gold had been reported at various periods prior to 1851, but the case for a widespread and thorough prospecting campaign for gold in Australia had not been presented properly to the public. The accompanying historical notes, on the other hand, illustrates most forcibly the magic effect on Australian life made by the public announcement of the discovery of payable gold in the Orange district.They are extracted from a statement prepared by Mr. R.H. Cambage, Under Secretary for Mines, read in connection with the ceremony of unveiling an obelisk erected at Ophir to commemorate the first discovery of payable gold in Australia : -
“ ‘1851. In January, 1851, Edward Hammond Hargraves returned from the goldfields of California having in his mind that there was a great similarity between the geological formations of the gold-bearing areas of that country and those of the district around Lewis Ponds Creek, near Orange, which he had visited about seventeen years previously. In February, 1851, he proceeded to Guyong, and called at a hotel on the old Bathurst-Orange road, kept by a widow named Mrs. Lister, whose husband Hargraves had known years before. He then obtained the services of young John Hardman Australia Lister, promising that if he would guide him to Emu Creek, Lewis Ponds, and Summer Hill Creek, he would show him where to find gold; and they proceeded to a spot about 2 miles above the junction of Lewis Ponds and Summer Hill Creeks.’
“ ‘In his evidence before a Select Committee on 20th June, 1853, Hargraves said : -
“ ‘I washed out six pans of earth, from five of which I procurred a grain each of gold, and in the sixth there was nothing [these would be regarded as mere colours].’
“This was on the 12th February, 1851. Later, Hargraves and Lister were joined by James Tom, of Springfield, and they proceeded to Burrandong, returning up the bed of the Macquarie River.
“ ‘In evidence given on the 25th September, 1890, by James Tom. he said : -
“ ‘We washed, I suppose, at dozens of places, and we always got a little gold - what they call the colour.’
“ ‘Hargraves then visited the Wellington-Dubbo district, and in the meantime John Lister and James Tom visited the Turon River, where they found a nice speck of gold.’
 “ ‘ About the middle of March, 1851, Hargraves explained to Lister, James Tom, and William Tom (a younger brother) how to make and use a cradle similar to that adopted by miners in California. This cradle was made in the present Springfield House at Byng by William Tom, and is now in the custody of the Royal Australian Historical Society at Sydney [This is now lodged at the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney]. The cradle was finished before Hargraves left the district, and in Lewis Ponds Creek, in front of the old Springfields House, he demonstrated to the others how to use it.’
“ ‘About the 20th March, 1851, Hargraves returned to Sydney, and during the remainder of the month the Toms, by the use of the cradle, obtained 16 grains of gold in Lewis Ponds Creek.’
“ ‘On 3rd April, 1851, Hargraves addressed a letter to the Colonial Secretary to the effect that, having occupied himself for two months in exploring a considerable extent of country in which, from his experience in California, he was led to believe gold was to be found, he had prosecuted his speculation to a successful issue, and offered to point out the localities where he had discovered gold to any officer or officers the Government might appoint, on condition that the Government would award him the sum of L500 as a compensation. To this suggestion a similar answer was given to that returned to the former proposal of Mr. Smith.’
“ ‘About this time James Tom left Springfield for the Bogan River District to take delivery of some cattle, and Lister and William Tom proceeded to the Junction of Lewis Ponds and Summer Hill Creeks; and between the 7th and 12th April, 1851, they obtained about four ounces of gold, which was the first payable gold discovered in Australia.’
“As mentioned above an obelisk was erected at Ophir to commemorate the momentous occasion of the finding of the first payable gold in Australia, to mark the site where the discovery was made, and to do honor to those concerned in this epoch-making event. The monument, unveiled on the 28th December, 1923, by the Honorable J.C.L. Fitzpatrick, Minister for Mines, bears the following inscription : - ‘This obelisk was erected by the New South Wales Government to Commemorate the first discovery in Australia of payable gold, which was found in the creek in front of this monument. Those rsponsible for the discovery were : - Edward Hammond Hargraves, John Hardman Australia Lister, James Tom, William Tom. From experience gained in California, Hargraves formed the idea that the district was auriferous, and he found the first gold on 12th February, 1851, about two miles up Lewis Ponds Creek. He explained to the others how to prospects and make and use a miners’ cradle, and Lister and W. Tom found payable gold between the 7th and 12th April, 1851.’
“* [Footnote - * Continuation of extract from ‘Min. Res., N.S..W.,’ p.5.] Mr. Stutchbury, the Government Geologist, on the 25th May, reported that the diggings at Summer Hill Creek, within a distance of about a mile, there were not less than a thousand persons, many of whom were getting large quantities of gold, and that the largest nugget found at that date weighed four pounds.
“The news of the discovery of payable gold spread with amazing rapidity, and prospecting operations were immediately commenced all over the country, with the result that a number of the principal goldfields were discovered the same year. On the 1st July, 1851, the Colony of Victoria was separated from New South Wales, and almost immediately afterwards the principal goldfields, such as Ballarat, Mount Alexander, &c., were discovered there. The discovery of the Queensland goldfields did not take place until some years later.
“Mr. Hargraves was eventually granted the sum of L10,000 by the Government of New South Wales as a reward for his discovery, and was appointed a Crown Lands Commissioner. The sum of L2,300 was also granted him by the Government of Victoria.”
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