William Carr was born about 1832 to unknown parents possibly in the county of Cumberland in England.
Gold had been located at a number of sites throughout Australia well before 1851 but the Colonial Government actively discouraged any promotion of prospecting in favour of keeping squatters’ employees and ticket-of-leave convicts working on the land.
By 1851 however, that view had changed in Victoria and alluvial and quartz gold finds were being made along the twisting and turning Yarra River that runs 90km from Victoria’s alpine park to Melbourne city where it empties into Hobson’s bay and Port Phillip. The success of a few lucky prospectors encouraged others to try and locate gold-bearing sites.
In 1854 an American (possibly an African American) named Boston and two Scottish companions located gold in Smyth’s Creek within walking distance of St. Andrews (then known as Queenstown). In no time up to 700 prospectors were trying their luck in and around Smyth’s Gully and Queenstown.
Diggings and mines extended from Kinglake down to Warrandyte and from Kangaroo Ground across to Yarrambat. In time Smyth’s Gully became Smith’s Gully and the diggings there and in surrounding locations were collectively known as The Caledonia Diggings. In due course the field supported some 3,000 people, a third of whom were Chinese who continued alluvial mining through to the early 1900s.
“William CARR, Miner, Wetherston”, was issued with a Miners Right on 2nd November 1861. (A Miners Right entitled the owner to dig for gold, to vote and possess ground adjoining his claim for residence).
On September 17, 1874, at the age of 43 years, William died in a mining accident at Wetherston, Otago, New Zealand. Earth had fallen into a tunnel in which he had been working and he was crushed.
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