The Gold Seekers of Central Australia –

Gold Seekers of Central Australia
Government Geologist Blatchford Accompanies Expedition-
Sydney Syndicate’s Efforts to Locate Rich Reef
Documents Left by Dead Prospector

Gold! What a magic spell the word casts over most people, and what a magnet the elusive metal is to tens of thousands of adventurous souls! It drags men from home and fireside, from office desk, factory and farm, to wander desert regions, and dangerous country in search of reported ‘Eldorados’. Some win wealth, but most cover weary miles in a vain search for the precious metal, only to be off again at a whisper of the word “Gold!”

The history of this reported desert find is built around the late Lewis Howard Bell “Possum” Lasseter, Central Australian prospector, who last year persuaded a Sydney syndicate, the Central Australian Gold Corporation Co. Ltd., to despatch him and a number of mates to the interior to locate a rich reef he asserted that he knew of. Leaving civilisation at Alice Springs the party pushed on to the Hermannsburg Ranges, then over about 250 miles of parched country to Ilbilla, near the Western Australian border, which they made their headquarters, mainly because of the native well there.

Inured to the hardships and dangers of Central Australia – Mr. Frank Green, a stock-man in that area, who is a member of the new expedition.

Across the border to the west lay Lasseter’s goal. He pushed on with feverish anticipation, but became separated from his mates, and they were unable to locate him. When a report of the disaster reached Sydney, an aeroplane was despatched, Captain W. L. Pittendrigh (pilot) being accompanied by Mr S. J. Hamre, a mining engineer. How this pair went within a hair’s breadth of meeting a tragic end has already been told in thrilling manner. Taking off from Alice Springs on December 20, Pittendrigh and Hamre searched for ground signals in the vicinity of Ilbilla, but seeing none they headed for Alice Springs again. Shortage of petrol caused a forced landing, and, abandoning the plane, they set out to walk to civilisation. Three weeks later they were discovered by an aeroplane piloted by Flight-Lieut. Eaton. The two men were on the verge of death through starvation and exhaustion, and were taken by motor car to hospital at Alice Springs.

H. W. B. Talbot – For many years connected with the W.A. Geological Department and lat-terly employed by the Freney Oil Co., who will accompany the expedition.

The search for Lasseter, continued, but it was not until near the end of March that his body was located by one of his colleagues, Mr. Robert Buck, who will lead the latest expedition. Lasseter was returning to Alice Springs with his samples and pegging notices when his camels bolted, and his last letters told a story of how he faced death fearlessly. Some details of this drama were told a few weeks ago In the Sydney “Sunday Guardian.”

In the dead man’s clothes was a letter giving the location of the find, particulars coinciding with those in a document which Lasseter had lodged in the Bank of Australasia, Sydney, before he left, and which, by agreement between Mrs. Lasseter, Mr. J. Baily, chairman of directors of the Central Australian Gold Co., and Lasseter’s legal advisors, was only to be opened in the event of the prospector’s death or on his successful return to Sydney. After the necessary formal steps had been taken, the document was transferred from the vaults of the bank to the Public Trustee, and in the presence of the parties was opened.

The Central Australia Gold Co. placed all matters in the hands of Mr. Leslie G. Bridge, prominent Sydney business man, who has charge of the organisation and details of the expedition. When the reef was being mapped out by Mr. George J. McGuire, a Sydney surveyor, Mr. Bailey and Mr. Bridge, discrepancies were noticed, and a closer examination of the secret document was made, when faint markings were noticed but could not be deciphered. The document was then taken to the C.I.B. and submitted to Det Sergeant Thompson for examination. He declared that the document could have been written with uric acid, milk, lemon water, or limewater, and gave directions to treatment, and as a result a second set of directions was brought to light.

These directions agreed substantially with the visible record, with the vital, difference that the compass variations of the instrument used by Lasseter and a Western Australian surveyor according to checks made by Lasseter at Carnarvon, WA, 30 years ago, were given. The original directions coincided with the report of the surveyor to the West Australian Government at the time, but upon which several expeditions failed to locate the supposed reef of gold.

As the Central Australia Gold Co. has proved that motor lorries and aeroplanes are not at present practicable in Central Australia, Mr. Buck will use camels for this expedition. The personnel will include Messrs. Buck and Green, bushmen with long experience in Central Australia; Cooper, wireless expert; Capt Hurley, explorer and photographer, while representation to the Western Australian Mines Department secured the services of Mr. Blatchford, who has been given six months’ leave, a fact which shows that the Minister has been considerably impressed with the possibility of something good being located. A mining reservation of country embracing the territory to be visited has been secured from the Mines Department.

12th October 1931 – Standing Frank Green – Bob Buck and Brandon – Cramer. Purportedly at Lassiter’s Reef – Photo Stale Library NSW

Mr. Talbot left Perth on Thursday and Mr. Blatchford was due to depart by last night’s Trans. train. They will journey via Quorn to Alice Springs, where the camel stage to the interior will begin. Peculiarly enough the territory to be visited is that towards which a police party is now heading to investigate a report of the murder of two prospectors by blacks.