Vincent Abbott – pioneer profile

MR. VINCENT ABBOTT   :    A PIONEER OF THE MURCHISON GOLD-FIELDS.

Amongst those attracted by the Murchison gold discoveries in the early nineties, and who assisted to blaze the track beyond Cue, was Vincent Abbott, a pioneer gold hunter of long and diversified experience. He pushed on to the watershed of the Murchison, more than 200 miles beyond Lake Austin, through country, desolate and forbidding.  Bob Menzies was at that time managing the Star of the East mine, near Mt. Yagahong, and, thanks to a rich leader, had extracted enough gold to pay a dividend of £8,000 to the shareholders. Naturally, the Murchison was in favour, and prospectors went into the wilderness inspired with high hopes.

Vincent Abbott

Abbott, whose name is now inseparably associated with that part of the country, had led a hard and adventurous life. When a mere lad he joined an English sailing vessel bound for the Black Sea. The season was winter, and the weather tempestuous, and the vessel all but foundered. One dark stormy night, when off one of the mouths of the Danube, the skipper of an Italian vessel in distress implored assistance, and young Abbott piloted her into safety by slinging a lantern over the stern of his own vessel and shouting instructions through a speaking trumpet. The trip was safely accomplished by both vessels.

After seeing a good deal of life in the Azoff and Black seas, and also in the Mediterranean, young Abbott joined a vessel engaged in the South American and West Indian trade. Eventually he reached Demarara, and was unlucky enough to contract the terrible sickness known as Yellow Jack. He was attacked in such an acute form and  so reduced physically that he was numbered with the dead and ordered for interment. Fortunately, an attendant noticed signs of life, and young Abbott escaped the horrors of being buried alive.

From Demarara a course was shaped to New Zealand, and Abbott gravitated to the Thames goldfield, at that time attracting world-wide attention. The famous Caledonian mine was turning out gold literally by the hundredweight daily, and shares climbed up from £5 to over £100 in a month, subsequently reaching even a higher figure. In the mid-seventies the Queensland gold discoveries caused a rush to the Palmer, and i . .amongst the early arrivals was young Abbott, whose knowledge gained in New Zealand was especially useful.

He prospected with such success that in less than a week he obtained more gold than he could carry away from his claim. Unfortunately, he contracted dengue fever, and again had a narrow escape. Recovering somewhat, he went down to Sydney, and from the skipper of the San Francisco mail steamer obtained a prescription that proved efficacious.

Eventually he was attracted to Western Australia, and decided to make a prospecting tour in the Murchison district. In the early part of 1892 he arrived at Geraldton, and purchased a complete outfit, with which he traversed over 400 miles of country, for the most part drought-stricken and water less. He got as far as the Robinson Ranges, where he found good prospects, but water was ominously scarce, and he decided to return as far as Nannine, and then continue the work of prospecting with the aid of camels. His method cf prospecting was somewhat unique. Instead of knapping quartz blows and outcrops, he obtained samples of the fine particles shredded from the stone by the action of wind, heat, and rain, and then carefully analysed the detritus. By that means, and with a knowledge of the chlorination and cyaniding  processes, Abbott was enabled to obtain a fairly good approximation of the contents of any lode in the vicinity, and was consequently saved much unnecessary labour,

About midway between Robinson Ranges and Nannine he discovered a good gold bearing reef, and promptly secured a lease. About nine tons were broken out and carted to Nannine, where the 6tons was treated by My. James McCord, at the Nannine Gold Mines battery. The yield was over ten ounces per ton, and a lot of miners were soon on the scene. Abbotts, as the new find was appropriately named, became a busy and prosperous camp, and machinery was erected by the company formed to acquire the original property. Some good crushing s were obtained, and then a school-house, post office, and many residences were erected, and a neat-looking town was formed out of the infant settlement. Lake Way next attracted the indomitable prospector, and there Abbott took an active part in the development of the district
After spending several years at Lake Way, Mr. Abbott made a tour through Europe, Great Britain, and America, returning to settle down in Perth, where he is now a permanent resident and as keenly interested in all matters pertaining to the advancement of the goldfields as ever.

Vincent Abbott was born Vincent Vranjican (Vranizan) in the town of Starigrad, Island of Hvar, Dalmatia, Croatia. Please note there is a place in WA that carries the name of Mt. Vranizan. Abbott lived in his retirement in Rivervale, Perth WA. He died in 1928.