A Sensational Narrative of Adventure –

The following account of an interview with Messrs. Bayley and Ford, the discoverers of Coolgardie, is taken from the Australian Mining Standard.

The West Australian – 1 Dec 1893, Pg 7

THE DISCOVERERS OF COOLGARDIE.
Bayley and Ford

Firstly a word of personal description may not be out of place just here. Arthur Bayley is yet quite a young man of 26 years; William Ford is 10 years his senior. Both men are from Victoria, Bayley was born at the Lodden and Ford from the Western District. Time has used both of them gently, despite their life of hardships and privations. Bayley has wavy dark hair, fringing, a broad forehead, prominent features, and an athletic figure. Ford is fair-complexioned, full-bearded, and wiry. Both look ideal bushmen; are quiet-mannered and modest withal, and not given to any sort of elation over their good luck. And concerning Ford, one thing deserves mention. He is entitled to equal credit with Bayley for the discovery of Coolgardie, and no one is readier to emphasise this fact than Bayley himself. People being accustomed to regard Coolgardie and Bayley as synonymous names, overlook the part that Ford took in the exploration. Ford was the domestic partner of the firm; he watched the camp and field while Bayley was getting supplies from Southern Cross. The people of the township knew Bayley and Bayley alone, and this accounts for the predominance of Bayley’s name in all that relates to Coolgardie.

Some Earlier Experiences

It would heighten the dramatic interest of this narrative if it could be said that the discovery of Coolgardie was made when the party had reached the last extremity of their supplies. The only objection to such a statement is that it would not be correct. As prospectors, the party was exceptionally well off. Two years before Bayley had won over 1,000oz from a claim at Nannine, in the Murchison district, where he had as “a mate” not Ford, but one Taylor. “I first met Ford,” remarked Bayley,” at Croydon (Qld), and five years ago accidentally chanced on him in Southern Cross. He remained at the Cross, while I went up as far as Roebourne. I was not the first at Nannine. The pioneers were McPherson and Peterkin, who were there four or five weeks before I arrived; and in spite of this, the West Australian Government gave the reward to another man. This fellow had actually left the colony, but hearing of the reward he returned from New South Wales to Perth, and with the assistance of a member of Parliament he got the reward on the ground that he found gold on the Murchison 12 months before McPherson and Peterkin and our party worked the field four months before we reported it.

Coolgardie in 1894 from an original sketch – Trees on left under which Bayley and Ford Camped – State Library of Victoria

“After selling our gold, I separated from Taylor and again met Ford in Perth. We joined there, and proceeded to Mount Kenneth, about 250 miles northeast of Perth. Having arrived there, we lost our horse through poison and had to walk back to Newcastle (Toodyay). The farmers and others on the way enjoyed themselves considerably at our expense. We got to Newcastle at last, bought a fresh turn out, and started for the Marring country, where some little gold had been got by a man named Speakman. But the place was very poor, and we found the fellows rushing back. We put in a couple of months knocking about the country but did no good. About June 1892 we got to Southern Cross, where we obtained enough stores to last for seven or eight weeks. I must say we were getting pretty fed up with it by this time. Still, we decided to start again; we struck out about 14 miles north of Hunt’s track, which we knew nothing about at the time, not having a map of the country. However, we struck the track, (which was very indistinct; it was marked 30 years ago) after going 30 or 40 miles, and we also found that Lindsay and his camels had been along a part of it. We soon lost Lindsay’s tracks, and after getting close to Coolgardie, we turned back for want of water and made for Gnarlbine Rock, where we stayed for two days. When the time was up we struck out north-east for some country we had seen before and which we wanted to prospect again, but we never got there. The country around Gnarlbine we found very boggy, and we could not do no more than 12 miles a day. Presently we struck

A Native Well- Coolgardie!

about half a mile from where afterward we got the first gold. This was about the third or fourth week after we left Southern Cross. The native well of which I speak is just a hole in the rock and will hold 700 or 800 gallons of water when full. As soon as we saw the country we decided to put in a few weeks prospecting it. The place was covered with grass, and we let the horses out to graze while we went ‘specking’ across the flats before breakfast. The first find was made by Ford, who picked up a 1/2 oz. nugget at a place which he called Fly Fat. Later on, we got a 7oz. the piece at the same place. After that we started picking up the gold all the time, getting about 200oz in five or six weeks.

Home Rulers On The Scent.

A somewhat amusing incident occurred about this time. Bayley and Ford were working like Trojans and felt somewhat secure in the realisation of their wonderful patches, when suddenly a party of four Irishmen men, with an aboriginal guide, appeared on the scene. A hundred ounces of gold were already in Bayley’s camp, and many more lay all around waiting to be spotted out by keen eyes. But though the Hibernian’s feet trod the earth, their heads were in the clouds, and their thoughts flitted to a gigantic golden mountain which their dark-skinned companion assured them lay far “out beyond.” They camped for a spell some little time near Bayley and Ford’s rendezvous and whiled the time away in good-natured ‘chaff” at the two prospectors, who, they considered, were wasting their time in that locality.

Arthur Bayley and William Ford 1892 – National Museum of Australia

The Irishmen were fearful that Bayley and Ford would follow them, and secure a slice of that great golden mountain while Bayley and I stood in the utmost trepidation that the Home Rulers had come to stay. Thus the parties watched and played with each other. At length, the time came for the Irish exodus. “I never slept a wink at all that night,” remarked Bayley. “Nor I either,” re-joined Ford; who pleaded guilty to playing off some tricks on the guileless Hibernians, and to having afterward picked up nuggets from the spot where their horses had stood. But the Irish men had their revenge unconsciously. “It was just this way,” said Bayley. ” When the Irishmen left us they went out east. ln the meantime I had to go to Southern Cross for rations. There was a strike on there at the time, and some of the fellows out of work got horses and followed me, but they were going in the direction of Dundas Hills, when the Irishmen, who had been deserted by their guide, met the strikers at Gnarlbine. This was three days after I returned from the Cross in July last year. The strikers had been misled by McPherson’s tracks and could not have found us but for the Irishmen, who told them where we were. Then they came on us. But for those Irishmen, replied Bayley, regretfully, “Coolgardie would not have been found for another six months.”

How they Found the Rich Reef –

“Shortly after the Irishmen returned, and after I got back with the rations,” continued Bayley,” I found a 45oz. specimen on the present lease – not on the Reward claim. Ford was working the ground while I prospected. We had not had time to do anything much on the reef when the fellows from the Cross arrived. I just had it pegged out, and a notice up containing the words ‘Protection Area.’ It was one Sunday evening after a shower of rain that we picked up the 45oz piece. It was sticking out from the reef, which is 30ft. high. This is a big mountain of quartz and can be seen miles away. I may tell you that the bulk of loose pieces of gold found came off the Reward claim, but the reefs on the reward were found later on. We got bags of nuggets off this claim.” “Yes” remarked Ford, “as much as we could carry away to our tents.”

The Story of Daylight Robbery

And then follows the old story, which may be told at almost every “rush”. The luck of the discoverers excited envy amongst the newcomers, and acts of brazen robbery followed. There were two Cockneys and a Dane,” remarked Bayley, somewhat contemptuously. ” They did not even know how to peg out a piece of ground.” It appears from Bayley’s account that, not content with picking off the surface gold, the raiders took a lot of rich stone from the reef and buried it for dollying out at a convenient time. ‘We found one trench,” said Bayley, where they buried a piece of quartz that gave between 39oz. and 40oz. And in the loose dirt they threw out, we found another loose piece that weighed a pound and several other pieces of almost solid gold. Altogether they must have got at least 300oz. from our property, though at the time Ford thought the stealing was between 700oz and 800oz.”

“No, they never disguised what they had done. They used to come to our tent and beg and pray of me to say nothing about it, and as I had to go into the Cross to report the discovery. I agreed not to proceed against them, if while I was away, they kept clear of our ground and did not meddle with Ford. We had scored the ground pretty well for loose nuggets before they arrived, but I showed them a place where they could have done very well, and where I got 50ozs. in three days. But this would not suit them. I had to go on our ground and show them the pegs twenty times, and Ford was obliged repeatedly to order them off. Then they wanted to come in as ‘mates’ with us; they would carry water or do anything, but we were not on. And this although there was plenty of surface gold about; why, even when Mr. Browne came, he picked up a 70oz. piece under where our tent stood, and a 5oz. one near where we dollied. I have little doubt but that for the next two years ‘ specks ‘ will be picked up all over the place. ” And after the crowd came, “added Ford, ” I was sick and tired weighing out gold.”

A Serious Charge

“No; the West Australian Government has done nothing for us. We have put in a claim for the reward but have got no answer so far. Our discovery, at the time it was made, was 50 miles beyond the limit of the Yilgarn field. As soon as the discovery was reported to the Warden, the whole territory up to the South Australian border was included in the Yilgarn gold district. All the reward we have got is 12 men’s ground, 600ft. by 400ft.” Then Bayley proceeded to detail his troubles in getting the lease of the additional area; and if his statements are not idly made, it calls for a rigid inquiry by the authorities. “We had a terrible time of it over the lease,” he said. “The Southern Cross strikers used to hold meetings on the ground and I threaten to jump the lease, and it was jumped several times by parties in league with some of the
‘ big wigs’ in Perth.

Well I know who’ll take the credit
-all the clever chaps that followed
Came a dozen men together
Never knew my desert fears;

Tracked me by the camps I quitted,
Used the waterholes I hollowed,
They’ll go back and do the talking.
They’ll be called the pioneers!
by Rudyard Kipling

Then the night I went to the Cross to report the discovery my horses were stolen from the stable, and one of them I have never seen since. One of the parties who came to me for directions as to where they would find water repaid me by jumping half our lease on their arrival. Although Ford showed them our pegs and all over the field, where good chances were to be had, they actually pegged out a 16-acre lease inside our protection area. Then they went to Perth and got some of the big people there to help them. And in cross-examination in the Warden’s Court, it came out that some of the big folks at Perth were interested in the jumping operations. But Warden Finnerty quickly settled the matter. Before all, he read out his recommendation that it was an impudent attempt by certain parties to rob Ford and me of our rights! He found everything out himself by cross-examination. The result was we got the lease, but it came too late to be of much good to me. The prosperity was under offer to Mr. Browne. We promised not to work the Reward, yet we could have worked the lease; but when the matter was settled Mr. Browne was ready with the money. The lease was jumped not only by one party but by dozens of others. And they used to rob it at night, altogether we must have lost from the lease alone between 600oz. or 700oz. of gold. They had their revolvers, and at last, I got mine ready too and would have used it if the robbery continued.

The Future:

It was impossible to complete the interview without touching on the prospects of the Reward Company and the future of Coolgardie – a delicate question which both men, it must be said, met frankly and confidently. They have the utmost faith in the mine and are confident that Coolgardie will be a permanent field. They had heard and read that the mine was only a ‘blow’; that such phenomenal richness could not continue to any great depth. Their answer to all such assertions was that they had not sold, and would not sell, a stake at present rates. Under the arrangement made with Mr. Browne, each of them was allotted 2,000 shares. “Mine are at the bank for safekeeping,” said Bayley, “and you can see them if you like ” And a similar response was made from Ford. Nor had Mr. Browne or any of his friends, so far as they knew, disposed of any shares. ” How do we account, then, for the present price?” said Bayley, “Yes; it’s quite true that they are very cheap, if, as you remark, past results are to be repeated. Well, I account for it in this way. A few shares were taken by outside people who have never been to Coolgardie and know little of the property. They paid 7s. 6d. for them, and with 22s 6d. dividend they think £10 a good profit per share and decided to take it.

This is my explanation of the present market value of the shares. In Bayley’s opinion, the Reward claim alone was more than worth the money; and here it may be stated that the present market valuation of the property is about a quarter of a million. “But then there is the lease,” continued Bayley. ” The reef on it was rich enough to make it worth people’s while to rob it, and no work has been done on it yet to speak of. And then there is stone already at grass,” interjected Ford,” which contains over 8,000 pounds worth of gold.” Summing up, Bayley added: “Ford and I took out of the ground over, £8,000 worth of gold. The machinery used, since Mr. Browne took the mine over in February, was a No. 2 Pankast, and with this (although for a long time little was done owing to water being 3 shillings per gallon) the yields have paid £32,000 in dividends, kept 20 men constantly employed on good wages, purchased two adjacent properties to make the block square, as well as a 10-head battery. Need we say any more!

And this is how the ‘Mother of the Goldfields’ was born – The Beginning

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Moya Sharp

Owner at Outback Family History

My name is Moya Sharp, I live in Kalgoorlie Western Australia and have worked most of my adult life in the history/museum industry. I have been passionate about history for as long as I can remember and in particular the history of my adopted home the Eastern Goldfields of Western Australia. Through my website I am committed to providing as many records and photographs free to any one who is interested in the family and local history of the region.

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