Old Mulgabbie – over the plates

In the year of 1898 or thereabouts following closely on the opening of the Kanowna Deep Leads, I struck the track from Norseman to Coolgardie accompanied by a mate. We had light hearts, heavy swags and a severe attack of gold fever. We completed the first 60 miles in two days, carrying waterbags. blankets and rations, arriving at Widgemooltha at sundown. One day’s spell, then hitting the dusty track again for the second lap of 60 miles to Coolgardie. Then to our objective, Kanowna, where hundreds of men were flocking. After six months sinking dud shafts and not getting even a colour of gold, although others more fortunate along the golden, prehistoric river beds at depths from 30 to 100 feet were stacking up hundreds of tons of rich dirt along the Fitzroy, North, South and Q.E.D Leads.

The Long Tramp – Photo TROVE

For every ‘Bonanza shaft’ there were 20 duffers bottoming on barren rock. Ill fortune dogging our footsteps we turned towards Mulgabbie, 75 miles from Kanowna, dead broke, our only means of locomotion, a wheelbarrow hastily knocked together and made up of a wooden wheel and wood axle. The wheel was of boards knocked from boxes and nailed together at cross angles, then sawn around to make the wheel as circular as possible, a piece of tin tacked round same to act as a tyre. This contraption when in top gear, that is one man harnessed and pulling in front of the wheel and No. 2 between the handles, we would average about 12 to 14 miles per day. The weight of the load-tents, blankets, food, clothing, tools, and a kerosene tin of water, etc., would keep the wheel constantly burrowing downwards. The Warden of the district, enjoying the luxury of travelling by pony and sulky, remarked to his companion when passing our conveyance that

Youth and Ambition know no obstacles.

A tandem buggy at Mulgabbie on the Pinjin Road – Photo TROVE

Kurnalpi Way: Well, on the road to Kurnalpi after two days battling, the barrow collapsed. Overhauled and pushing on we emerged from sandhills on to a smooth but grassy arm of a lake and to our joy we saw a teamster with six horses and waggon truly bogged in the centre of it. Cursing the country and the Government over the rotten roads, we joined in with our sympathy as we expected to dine with him, knowing by one glance that he had a variety of foodstuffs aboard for a mine at Pingin, 90 miles away. Our help was gladly offered and accepted. He invited us to throw all our gear and barrow on top of his load after everything was safely on the road again.

A little further on we camped for the night at a small wayside pub. The proprietress, a kindly woman, insisted next morning on driving the team, the teamster following 100 yards or so behind. Unfortunately the horses got a slight run on and landed the waggon and her ladyship into another claypan bog. The arrival of the long bearded teamster on the scene meant another intense barrage of profane remarks, but our lady friend was pleasantly farewelled by my mate and myself and the incident was a break in a monotonous trip. We were short of food and he had plenty, so small stoppages did not affect our timetable. The gold ahead, if any, would not evaporate.

After four or five days we arrived at a condenser run by a hardy prospector within six miles of Mulgabbie and situated on a lake. After watering the horses, suffering from terrific heat, the gallant animals plugged along until midday. By this time they were again famished through heavy pulling. We finally arrived at Galvalley Soak, five miles beyond Mulgabbie, having circled the area and missing the direct road. An inspection of this well-known water hole revealed only a slushy liquid on the bottom unfit for men or animals. This time the teamster in anger started to throw off all the load, irrespective of white or black-fellow, caring for nothing but the life of his horses. A suggestion that he make a temporary bag saddle and rope stirrups, and give the best horse for walking and that I should ride a few miles, ahead in search of water, he readily agreed to.

The Bushmans Rest Hotel – Lionel Lindsay

I set out eastward over the old almost indistinguishable track marks, sand, spinifex, lake and gum. Pushing on over a hill down into the valley, among the big gums and some kurrajongs, snugly situated in the cool pleasant shade I found a water rock hole five feet deep, overflowing with cool crystal water, which greeted both horse and rider. A pleasant hour was deliberately whiled away to pleasant memories of other cool places. On returning with the news to Galvalley the teamster reharnessed and made off at once. My mate and I as passengers, bade farewell to the driver, picked up our belongings, dumped them on the faithful old barrow and returned to Mulgabbie, easily located in the distance by a prominent hill, Mt Mulgabbie, from which the place takes its name.

Where Fossickers Worked: In and around the foot of this hill was the place the original rush of goldseekers worked and also quickly abandoned. Patches of gold were found mostly in shallow soil, although in the six to twelve feet ground a run of wash along the bottom carried values over a fair area, but not too payable in spite of fair sized occasional pieces being obtained. The early prospectors made the fatal mistake of ignoring quartz stringers and lode-bearing material. They were mostly alluvial fossickers and loved the naked gold only, usually rooting out with the aid of sieves and shakers this form of precious metal from the ground and drift accompanying it. After this they would drift to other attractive areas.

Two or three years later a party who had sunk all their capital on drink wandered through to Mulgabbie and the usual drunk’s luck favoured them. Sinking a hole nine to ten feet deep close to the old workings they took out 45 ounces before they reached the bottom. This was coarse specked gold, thence running the wash through the shaker after obtaining the same, the gold could be seen spilling over the choked up ripples. Thence after this the same material carted to the lake where water for sluicing was obtainable gave a further yield of 10 oz to the ton, mostly fine gold. It is not known how much gold was obtained by this particular party from their claim, but it was extraordinarily rich. They were good fellows, as they opened a free eating house for men battling along the road. One of this party broke all spending records at Kanowna by

spending or throwing away money at the rate of £1 per. minute.

How long this lasted it is impossible to say. Mulgabbie over the intervening years has attracted waves of prospectors at different times, but like all gold finds, as attractive as the rainbow, they nearly all fade quickly.

by PILOT – Bickley