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FIRST NOTIFICATION.
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CHAPTER VIII.
THE GOLD FIELDS OF NEW SOUTH WALES.
First notification of gold discovery—Summerhill Creek—Abercrombie River— Hundredweight of gold—Turon—Geological character—Frederick's Valley —Exports of gold—Gold localities—Trip to the gold fields—Enormous mass of gold — Gold progress—Bungonin—Shoalhaven Diggings—Gold excitement—Settlers' Letters—Wentworth Diggings—Brennan nugget—Ophir —Braidwood, &c.
The first
official notification of the discovery of gold in Australia is
contained in a despatch from Governor Fitzroy to Earl Grey, and bears
date May 22nd 1851. In this he announces the existence of a gold field
to the westward of the town of Bathurst, at a distance of about 150
miles from Sydney; at the same time adding his suspicions that the
nature and value of the discovery had been exaggerated, and that the
gold sent for inspection was Californian gold; notwithstanding this, he
deemed the accounts sufficiently important to require a sufficient
police to be placed on the Bathurst road.
A
communication from Mr. Stutchbury, the geological surveyor, now
undeceived his Excellency. On the 19th of May that gentleman wrote from
Summerhill Creek, that gold had been obtained in considerable
quantities with no better washing instrument than a tin dish, which
sufficed to procure one and two ounces per day. At the same date he
reported that 400 persons were hard at work, and that the gold existed
not only in the creek, but far above its flood
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