On The Golden Trail –

On the Golden Trail
Guidé to Carnegie in ’94-Gus 
Luck’s Early Goldfields Prospecting Experiences

Early in November in 1892, two gold hunters, Gus Luck and his mate Jack Burns, out on a prospecting expedition from Coolgardie, found themselves cursing their luck when their camels became bogged west of Mt Robinson. It was only after the animals had been relieved of their pack that they could free themselves from the mud.

Gus Luck

The incident made. Luck and his mate turn south-east, and then work their way back to the “Old Camp.” Had they gone the opposite way, as was their original intention, history might have contained their names as the discovers of the famous Golden Mile, for the bogging incident occurred within half a day’s walk of the spot where Paddy Hannan, seven months later, made his discovery, which caused Australia’s greatest gold boom, and was the forerunner of the location of the wonderful Golden Mlle.

Mr. A J (Gus) Luck, who has been farming on the miner’s settlement near Southern Cross for the past two years, is now temporarily located in Perth.

A Link with Exploration Work of forty years ago.

In 1889 he was a member of an expedition which landed at Eucla from Adelaide, to explore a section of that little-known country for a railway company.” In “flying-gangs” the party of fourteen ventured inland as far as food supplies would allow them and relied on rock holes for water. One of these trips nearly ended in disaster. Luck and his mate struggled back over

Eighty Miles of Waterless Land

to get assistance sent out to the remainder of the party, some of whom were found in a pitiable plight through the ravages of thirst.

Gus Luck – Photo by High Beach

In 1894 Luck became associated, as a guide, with Hon. D. Carnegie, a son of the Earl of Southesk, a Scottish nobleman. Carnegie had come to Western Australia to seek his fortune, and he headed a number of expeditions to the northern fields. On the trip on which he and Luck were associated, a route was taken from Coolgardie across Hampton Plains territory, up to Queen Victoria Springs, and to the country beyond. A mount about 200 miles northeast of where Mt Margaret now stands, was named Mt Luck after the man who acted as guide to the party.

Daily News 22 May 1951, page 5

Above: Using a memento of his early days, Gus Luck, who will be 84 tomorrow, takes a bearing with a prismatic compass given to him in 1894 by D W Carnegie whom he accompanied on an expedition.

Threading, their way back, the party found gold at Niagara and reached Siberia Soak with the tucker box empty and only tobacco, matches, and baking powder among their stores. Provisions borrowed from a survey party helped them on the last stage of their return journey. What was originally intended to be a five or six weeks expedition, had lasted five months, and their safe return set a lot of uneasy minds at rest in the Old Camp.

In appreciation, Carnegie presented Luck with a compass inscribed “From D W. Carnegie, July 1894,” and this today is one of Mr, Luck’s most treasured possessions. A glance at it takes his mind back to stirring events of the early ’90s.

Carnegie, it might be added, later met his death in Nigeria from a poisoned arrow. In his capacity as Resident Magistrate, he visited a native camp to relieve them of their firearms and had just carried the weapons back to a waiting boat when the chief of the tribe came on the scene. He waved his arms menacingly at the Britishers, and Carnegie, fearless as ever returned to the camp, but an arrow struck him down. He succumbed shortly after his friends had laid him gently in the boat. Thus was severed a link with ‘Early Coolgardie’ days.

Luck played his part in the pioneering work which assisted in the opening of the Goldfields but goes his way. unostentatiously, despite the trying and hazardous times he has passed through, Luck wears well. !!

Further recommended reading The Outback Trail by A.J. Luck – Available from Hesperian Press

The Outback Trail by A J Luck

Gus Luck was one of Western Australia’s most experienced bushmen when he met David Carnegie, who later wrote the classic Spinifex and Sand. He taught Carnegie his bushmanship and in The Outback Trail, he writes of his life and experiences in the bush, camels, natives, prospecting, people, and more, in a fascinating story of the 1880s to 1930s.

Augustus Jules Luck is believed to have been born on 23 May 1867 in Alsace, France to parents Jaques Luck and Eve nee Hunsicker. After his expedition with Carnegie, he returned to Victoria where he married Emma Bees in Footscray on the 3 Nov 1894 at the age of 27yrs. The couple’s had two daughters who were born in VIC, Marie Louise ‘Dolly’ born in 1898, and Margaret Florence ‘Maggie’ born in 1900, both girls died in Menzies WA in 1900. Other Children all born in Boulder WA except Eva, were: Eva May born in 1900, Augustus Jules Jr born in 1902, Florence Victoria born in 1904, Marjorie Ellen born in 1907, Valance Emma born in 1910, George Edward born in 1911, and Veronica Gladys 1917. Whilst in Boulder Gus worked as a loco driver in the Perserverebnce Mine.

Gus and Emma Luck – Kalgoorlie Cemetery – Photo Find a Grave

After leaving the Goldfields Gus first took up a farm at Southern Cross and then he later built a house at 37 Gt Eastern Hwy in Victoria Park near Perth. He died at the Salvation Army Aged care Home in Kelmscott on 13 Aug 1958 aged 92yrs and is buried in the Kalgoorlie Cemetery with his wife Emma who died 20 Jun 1925 aged 50yrs.