Page:History of Adelaide and vicinity.djvu/137

 The Legislators ADELAIDE AND VICINITY III and the home authorities, recognising the greatness of the emergency, did not disapprove of the action of the Governor." The Act was in operation for one year. On the first day of opening the Government Assay Office, gold to the value of ^10,000 was deposited. Larger quantities of the metal now arrived, partly because the price given was higher than that in Victoria. Mr. Tolmer, Inspector of Police, suggested that an overland escort should be established. To the advantage of South Australia Governor Young acquiesced in the proposal, and Inspector Tolmer was appointed to the command. He traversed the distance between Mount Alexander and Adelaide (338 miles) in eight days, bringing with him in a spring cart gold valued at ^18,456 9s. The first escort reached the city in March, and the second (bearing 1,620 lbs. of gold, valued at .1^70,000) in May. Arrangements were made for a monthly service, and also for the conveyance by the escort of letters from South Australian diggers. Other escorts brought, in 1852, gold valued at ^^729, 143 12s. 3d., principally from South Australian diggers. The e.scorts met with many adventures during their long journeys. I 2 3 4 5 Figures i and 2 are the obverse and reverse of a die which was intended for ;^5 tokens, authorised, but not issued, as a legal tender. Figures 3 and 4 are the obverse and reverse of a die used for ^i tokens. No. 5 was struck owing to a flaw in No. 4, as shown in plate. Only a few issues were made from No. 4, the total issues from Nos. 3, 4, and 5 being 24,648. Dies for £2 tokens do not appear to have been made. The Bullion Act and the gold escort worked out very beneficially for South Australia, and the diggers soon began to return. As early as April, May, and June, 1852, the arrivals in the Province exceeded the departures. By making gold a legal tender, the financial paralysis was arrested ; the price of products began to rise ; many -successful returning diggers invested in land, and farming pursuits a year or two later acquired unexampled vitality. As a result of the amazing increase of population in Australia generally, the cost of living rose considerably, and in 1853 it was found necessary to increase the salaries of South Australian Government officials. In the latter year the crisis in South Australia had passed, and there was activity in all departments of trade and industry. New discoveries occasionally caused a .substantial emigration to Victoria, but the vast proportion of the men returned, besides a percentage of new arrivals in Australia, who, becoming satiated with gold-seeking, came to South Australia and invested in land or established themselves in business. The escort was discontinued in December, 1853, after having conveyed to the Province about ^2,000,000 worth of gold ; but for .several subsequent years diggers who had left their families in this Province continued on the goldfields, and sent home a large proportion of their earnings.