Page:Advanced Australia.djvu/21

 Australia have for many years been turned to the great inland territories of Western Australia as a region possessing great possibilities of mineral wealth. Sir Roderick Murchison's name is on its map. So far back as 1865, a capable young surveyor named Hunt penetrated with horses and a waggon to the country east and south of what is now Kalgoorlie, and reported country "probably auriferous." He had happened on a wet season; but his achievement was still most remarkable, and his track, and even one of the dams he constructed, were of much use when the country was opened up more than thirty years afterwards. He found the valuable district of the Hampton Plains, and seems even to have reached, with a flying party, the still very remote region of Kurnalpi. Hargreaves, the celebrated prospector from N.S. Wales, was given £500, about this time, to inspect and report on the colonies' mineral resources. But he was only shown the coastal districts, and his report was discouraging, though some quartz which must have come from near Coolgardie was taken to Sydney in 1866. In 1869, again, another young surveyor, John Forrest (now the Right Hon. Sir John Forrest, the Premier), discovered and named Mounts Malcolm, Margaret, and Leonora; each of them now the centre of rich mining districts to the north of Kalgoorlie; and in 1871, Alexander Forrest, his brother, the present Mayor of Perth, camped for a time at a gnamma-hole which must have been close to Bayley's find and the Tom Tiddler's ground of Fly Flat.

The word "rush" is used in Australia to describe the great rush of miners from one goldfield to another when news of rich finds is published. Western Australia has had several "rushes," and the bleached bones of many of the pioneers lie all over the continent. Kimberley,