Gold Rush Days The Kimberley

GOLD RUSH DAYS
The Kimberley the Eighties

Interesting diaries, containing details of life in the North in the eighties, and written by one who was a trooper with the first police gold escort sent to Halls Creek goldfield in 1886, are in the possession of Mr. S. P. Sweeny, of Collie, They were compiled by His father, James Sweeny. The Gold escort, it is related, left Derby for Hall’s Creek on August 4, 1886, under the command of Warden C. D. Price. Acting Inspector Finnerty was second in command and the other members comprised Sub Inspector Troy, L. C. Thomas (warden’s clerk), Sergeant Sherry, Corporal Keen and Troopers Brophy, Cornish, Mallard, Buckley, Forbes, McAtie and Sweeny, besides acting as a gold escort, the duty of the party was to establish a police station and Warden’s Court at Hall’s Creek. In addition, as there was a great deal of poverty among the men who rushed to the goldfield, Warden Price had to arrange a system of Government food supply for the needy.

Police Escort Sandstone, WA – Coach driver Andrew Blake – Photo SLVIC

To transport the stores necessary, drays and horses were purchased at Derby. For these the Warden faced some stiff prices. The diaries showed that he paid to W. Livingstone £300 for a dray, four horses and harness, and J. Youngerman received £280 for a similar outfit. In each case a teamster was engaged at 8 shillings a day and keep. What turned out to be a bad bargain was made when the Warden paid £80 for one horse, £46 for another, and £48 for a spring dray. The £80 horse was killed crossing a stream, the other animal died, and the dray was smashed beyond repair. In Derby the Warden paid 11/8d for 10lb. of sugar. 9/2d for five pounds of potatoes, 6/- for two pounds of tea, 5/6d for three pounds of honey, 3/8d for two tins of milk and 3/6d for a. bottle of pickles. Flour cost him 1/- a pound in many instances.

On the road by horse and cart – Photo SLWA

The diaries show that the progress of the party was very slow over the rough country and the teams continually seemed to be in trouble. On many occasions, waits of a day or more were necessary to rest the horses. The Warden held court at various camps and settled petty disputes. One instance is given of a fine of £3 which was imposed on three men for causing trouble in a camp. Two men paid their fines, but the third refused. This caused more bother for the police, because the only way of detaining the man was by setting a guard over him. However, the fine was paid although the police were strongly suspected of paying it themselves to save extra work. Inspector Finnerty and Sub Inspector Troy were kept busy searching for new water holes. Owing to the heavy traffic on the road, the known supply was overtaxed. There were many’ instances of horses watered from buckets filled by scooping with a tin from the bottom of a well.  After travelling for 45 days, the party arrived at Seven Palm Springs and their, first depot was established there .

Swampers on the track – Image SLWA

Considerable Sickness. The suffering and privation amongst the fortune hunters must have been very great. Doctor Langdon seems to have had a busy time attending to the sick, but they must have been a hardy type. There are many instances quoted in Trooper Sweeny’s diaries of men harnessed to wheelbarrows, and one instance tells of two men tied with ropes to a spring cart, pulling alongside their jaded horse. A man who had been under the care of Doctor Langdon, receiving treatment for blistered feet, tried to exchange a gold watch, a rifle and his dog for a pair of old boots, but not even the policeman owned a spare pair. A man named Lake, while shooting at a hawk, had his hand shattered when the gun burst. The doctor was absent from the camp and the police had to attend to the case for two days. When the doctor returned he amputated the man’s hand. There were no drugs to help the operation. The man was given a glass of brandy, and watched the doctor do the job. Only two women on the fields are referred to in the diaries. The first to arrive was a

‘Mrs McNeil, who was known as ‘Old Mother Sudden Death,’

but though hard at driving a bargain, she was not as hard as the name implies. There are many instances of her kindnesses to down and out prospectors The other woman was young and handsome and was known as ‘The Mountain Maid.’ She arrived at Hall’s Creek in the company of several Afghans, and her stay in the camp was short, for the police took her back to Wyndham for her own safety.

An Early Murder. The only serious crime reported in the diaries is the murder of his mate by a German named Frank Hornig. He took to the bush, and gave Sub-Inspector Troy a long trail to follow, but the Sub-Inspector made his arrest. It was whilst searching for Hornig that Trooper McAtie found the remains of J. Mansfield. Mansfield worked his way to Halls Creek as a ‘swamper” with the police party, but while prospecting, he apparently became lost and died of thirst only about 400 yards from a water hole. The police, once their base was established at Hall’s Creek, acted as mailmen. In doing this work they suffered many hardships. One instance is given of Troopers Brophy and Sweeny having to wait 10 days in an isolated spot for the mailman from Wyndham. He was delayed by rain and the troopers were forced to stay for 10 days on four days rations.

Royal Mail on the road Fitzroy Crossing to Halls Creek 180 miles, 1921 – Photo SLWA