The Black Range Pioneers – “Wheres Frenchy?”

BLACK RANGE PIONEERS       “Where is ”Frenchy ?”

There appeared in a recent issue of the Sunday Times, a paragraph relating to the original discoverers of Black Range, fourteen years ago in 1892. It was founded on the statement of one of them, McIntyre, as was published in the “Murchison Advocate.” A correspondent writing with equal authority, as a first-hand witness, we are indebted this week for some further details about the pioneers of the field and the circumstances under which gold was first found there.

Prospectors Travelling to Black Range 1904

Your par about the original prospectors of Black Bange, he writes, is not quite correct, or rather does not go quite far enough. You mention McIntyre, Wright and Shilligton, but you omit the names of Smart and Angelo, who were also of the party. The latter, a French chef, was a poor bushman, and it was during one of “the periodic hunts for “Frenchy” who had been lost on this particular occasion for 36 hours, that the first gold bearing reef on the field was discovered. The party members were Ernest Eversley ‘Shilly’ SHILLINGTON, George RALPH, Thomas WRIGHT, John McINTYRE, A (Frenchy) ANGELO and Ralph SMART. Although it is probable that Jack McIntyre was the original discoverer of gold but the reward claim was filed in the names of all six of the party. The reward claim was lodged in Cue by Shillington and known as Ivy Linden, in 1895.

A prospectors camp 1900

This show, after being worked for about twelve months by the prospectors, was sold to Owen Daly (Micky the Priest) well known in the old Murchison days, for £480. Nine years later the ground around the original find was named ‘Mickey the Priests’.  In 1894-1895 it was said that Owen Daly made £17,000 from a mine near Nannine but by 1909 he was working as a labourer on the Sandstone to Mt Magnet railway line for 9 shilling a day and living on tinned dog and damper. It seems he had squandered his money on ‘fast women and slow horses’.

The Black Range belt, lying across a 70-mile dry stage, made early-day prospecting difficult, as horsemen naturally had to make hasty dashes across same. The original prospectors were lucky enough to locate a soak in the middle of the ranges, which lasted the party until after gold had been found and a well sunk by themselves where they found water at 60 feet. Other parties, eastward bound, kept considerably south of this soak, and the presence of a party in the ranges was not known to others for some months, when the big trek to the Lake Darlot rush took place.

It seems that on the day of the discovery, Frenchy burst into the camp, hat less and dishevelled, with nearly a full bag of water in his hand. He hadn’t taken a drink since the knowledge that he was lost again dawned on him 30 hours ago. The camp guard and one of the searchers had just returned and were having a game of crib while the billy boiled. Frenchy said “You playee de cards while I pereesh in de booshe”.  He turned on the players who, with difficulty, calmed him by sitting on his head and heels and while they did so they cursed that they had not belled and hobbled him. Just then Smart arrived from his epoch making discover 8 miles away. “Did you find Frenchy?” bawled one of the group. “I have had something better to do than to bother putting the word out about Frenchy” said Smart pulling out the specimens. This soon roused Frenchy again but the sight of the gold soothed him.

Mail Coach Leaving the Black Range 1905

Newspaper Notice:- Missing Friends : ‘Frenchy’ Angelo, if any of your readers know his whereabouts, they could do him a good turn by referring him to the Mines Department, Perth. His share of the reward, £30, for the Black Range discovery, voted by Parliament some three or four years ago, as never yet, so far been claimed.”