Page:History of West Australia.djvu/367

 Rh

Coolgardie to Woolgangie on the way to Southern Cross. A track from Broome Hill to Gnarlbine was cut by Mr. Holland, with only a bushman's compass, at the expense of Broome Hill residents. This feat was a remarkable one.

To some extent the other goldfields of the colony suffered by the prominence which had been given to the Coolgardie district. The returns for the Murchison—21,210 ozs., valued at £80,599—fell short of those of 1892. Many of the searchers for alluvial had migrated to the more sensational field, and many who remained devoted themselves entirely to the testing of the quartz reefs. In the transition period from alluvial to quartz in a goldield's history the returns are bound to be affected. Quartz claims were opened up at various places long distances apart on the Murchison, and numbers of gold mining companies were floated. At the same time alluvial still yielded the largest percentage of the output, and excellent finds were made at Mount Magnet, Austin's Lake, Cue, and Nannine. These discoveries were not advertised with such persistency as were those at Coolgardie, but at the end of 1893 the Murchison was much more stable than the sister field. The two chief centres were Nannine and Cue. The former township was laid out, declared, and excepted from occupation for mining purposes on April, 1893, and the latter on 10th August. One sale of land was held in each town in 1893, and six lots at Nannine were sold for £120, and twenty-one lots at Cue for £520. Mr. E.P. Dowley succeeded Mr. Walter as warden, and in August Mr. C.V. Bagot succeeded Mr. M. Fox as registrar. The warden's office was removed from Nannine to Cue, and the goldfield was declared a magisterial district. Geraldton, as the port for the Murchison, expanded under the influence of a mining population, and because of the railway which was being constructed to Mullewa. Mining pilgrims were constantly entering and leaving the town, and farmers on the Greenough and Irwin obtained a ready market for their hay and other produce. Caravans of waggons and camels journeyed regularly between Geraldton and the chief mining centres, and the way was almost as unattractive as that from Southern Cross to Coolgardie. Carriers made large profits in the transport trade, and horses were called upon to exercise such powers of endurance as cannot be understood by those who know nothing of the tracks, and of the long stretches to be traversed in broiling heat and distressing dust without water.

Crushing operations were begun on some of the Murchison mines. A stamper battery was erected on the Star of the East mine, near Nannine, and machinery was also placed on one or two mines at Cue and Mount Magnet. Good supplies of fresh water for battery purposes were obtained at various parts of the fields, notably at the Star of the East, Day Dawn (near Cue), and New Chum (Mount Magnet) mines. The Government sank wells at Day Dawn, Cue, and on the road between Nannine and Abbot's. In each, good water was secured. Eighty-one gold mining leases were applied for on the Murchison in 1893, and forty business licenses were issued. In the whole colony, 3,919 miners' rights were issued, and 222 mining leases were approved. Such large numbers of leases were forfeited that only fifteen more were held in 1893 than in 1892. In January, 1893, the Government offered a bonus to any person or company who would sink a shaft below the depth of 100 feet in any proclaimed field: £2 10s. per foot for a shaft below 100 feet to 200 feet; and £5 per foot below 200 feet to 300 feet. During the year the sum of £1,734 was paid to eleven claimants—six at Yilgarn, one at Coolgardie (Bayley's, 180 feet), and four on the Murchison field. The Blackbourne, 267 feet, had the deepest shaft at Yilgarn, and the Black Iguana, 174 feet, the deepest on the Murchison.

Prospecting on the Pilbarra, Kimberley, and Ashburton goldfields tended further to prove the gold reefs, but no accession of population was obtained. The Pilbarra output was some £5,000 less than that of 1892, and the Kimberley was £2,000 greater. The figures were:—Pilbarra, 11,698 ozs. 10 dwts. of gold, valued at £44,454 6s.; Kimberley, 1,621 ozs. 13 dwts. 23 grs., valued at £6,162 9s.; and Ashburton, 467 ozs. 14 dwts. 22 grs., valued a £1,777 8s. 8d. The town site of Marble Bar was declared on 20th July, 1893. A severe depression in gold mining took place at Kimberley, and though the district was acknowledged to be rich, no hope was entertained of its progressing in the near future. The Rising Sun, Jubilee, Reform, Brockman King, Phœnix, and Afghan mines ceased work, and in the last quarter of the year not one claim produced any gold. To some extent, the same depression existed at Pilbarra. The General, Stray Shot, Excelsior, Bamboo Queen, Mount Prophecy Leases, and No. 1 S.E. Timbuctoo mines gave some promise. The average of stone crushed was high, but the absence of sufficient capital was seriously felt. Little alluvial excitement took place, excepting for a rush to the Top Well, where 1,000 ozs. were quickly secured. Included in this amount was one nugget of 295 ozs., and three others averaging 100 ozs. each. The mining population of the Pilbarra field was estimated at 450 men, of whom about 250 resided in the neighbourhood of Marble Bar and Bamboo Creek.

The developments on the eastern and Murchison goldfields in 1894 far exceeded those of 1893. Discoveries were made which seemed to offer brilliant prospects of gain. The output jumped from 110,890 ozs. of gold (£421,385) in 1893 to 207,131 ozs. (£787,099) in 1894. In 1893 the population was increased by 6,390 persons, and in 1894 by 17,008 persons, the total in the colony in the latter year being 82,072. Other highly gratifying features were apparent. Railways were opened to Southern Cross and to Mullewa; the area of the goldfields was greatly extended, and was reckoned to be 224,900 square miles; machinery was erected on numerous mines; seventy mining companies were registered in Western Australia, and not less than 100 with a minimal capital of £8,415,000 in London, to work local mines; and the mining industry became so important that it was found necessary to separate its administration from the Lands Office, and to establish a separate department with a separate staff. It is easy to conceive the galvanic effect which these developments had on local affairs. Western Australia was effectually awakened from its old lethargy, and a new and hopeful vitality crept into nearly every branch of industry.

After the hot summer weather of 1893-4 there was a considerable influx of population to the Coolgardie Goldfields. The developments of 1893 had convinced many wavering minds. The year 1894 was one of intense excitement; mining emotion was general and magnetic. It is not possible in one chapter to enter into close detail of all the discoveries that were made and of the rapid opening up of new districts. The first find of any importance was one at Mount Jackson, north of Southern Cross, and N.N.E. of Lake Deborah. On 15th January James Speakman, who registered a protection area, stated that he had obtained good specimens at this place, and that the district deserved a further trial. Another prospector, Wm. Hall, applied