OUR image this week shows an old photo of Sofala township - a township that was the result of gold being found nearby in Lewis Ponds Creek. By June 1851, Sofala was awash with canvas tents. By December, it had the Royal Hotel and a general store.
It was alluvial gold that the prospectors were initially working, but this soon dwindled. Miners looked elsewhere along the Turon River and found the first reef gold.
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There had been small amounts of gold found at various times before 1851, but the finds of the glittering mineral at Summer Hill Creek, near Bathurst, changed our nation's future.
The gold was found on May 14, 1851 and The Sydney Morning Herald was soon on the discovery.
It had the following story on May 15, 1851:
The arrival of Mr. Hargraves in Bathurst on Tuesday evening last, who, it was generally known had been in communication with government respecting discoveries made by him of extensive gold deposits in our montane region, has now brought the subject more prominently before our Bathurst public.
On Thursday evening, he invited a few gentlemen to meet him at Mr. Arthur's Inn, with the object of communicating such information as he had obtained upon this interesting subject, in his recent explorations, and the readiness and intelligence which he displayed in answering the numerous questions addressed to him, showed satisfactorily that he not only possessed an intimate knowledge of gold-mining in all its branches, but was desirous of giving every possible information upon the matter connected with his visit.
Mr Hargraves had established a company of nine working miners who were actively employed digging at a point of the Summer Hill Creek near its junction with the Macquarie, some 50 miles from Bathurst. Ophir was the name given to these diggings.
Mr Hargraves showed several samples of fine gold to the Bathurst company. They weighed some four ounces, the samples being the result of three days' digging.
He felt that the amount thus earned by each prospector represented £2 4s. 8d. per day, though he felt that for the practical knowledge and proper implements, he was convinced that nearly one half of the gold was lost.
By May 23, 1851, Mr Stutchbury, the government geologist, had arrived to investigate. He quickly reported on the event and a letter was received.
It was merely a preliminary report, but was fully confirmatory of Mr Hargraves' statements as to the presence of gold in the soil.
The Bathurst Free Press was issuing full articles on the goldfields under "Mining Intelligence", which not only had news of new claims and gold finds, but also other attractions.
One report said:
Mr Ashton's Olympic Circus is at present at Sofala and is well patronised. Mr Ashton is evidently adept at his business, and his feats on the bareback of his celebrated mare Gazelle are certainly well and cleverly executed. Miss Irwin for her age is an excellent rider and her style is equal if not superior to that of Madam Rosine.
We had a few showers of rain this morning, but the appearance of the atmosphere as evening approaches is indicative of dry weather. Sofala, November 2, 1853.
