Early Experiences - 2. WOMBAT FLAT (DAYLESFORD) IN 1853. by Gordon Duncan

Date: Jan 1853 to Jan 1853
Location: WOMBAT FLAT (DAYLESFORD)

2. WOMBAT FLAT (DAYLESFORD) IN 1853. by Gordon Duncan.

https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/155413539

Early in January, 1853, prompted by tidings of new diggings in the Jim Crow Ranges, I was deputed by my mate and others to inspect and report as to pros- pects in that locality. My report being favorable, our party and the others char- tered a dray, at a cost of £10, to transport our traps to Wombat Flat (now Dayles- ford.) Starting from the " Junction " (Vaughan), we crossed the Loddon at Canadian Point — thence we struck out for Mount Franklyn. Our initial difficulty was to surmount Kangaroo Hill and reach the tableland beyond. This was achieved by the united exertions of the entire party. We affixed ropes to the dray shafts and dragged the horse-cart and load over the saddle of that hill, and reached the top after much hard work. From this point, although there was no definite track, the route was comparatively easy. With Mount Franklyn as our landmark, we experienced no difficulty in reaching Parker's Station (Black protectorate.) Having run out of provisions, we called at the homestead, where stores were sold, to replenish our tucker box. They, how- ever, churlishly refused to either sell or give us provisions " because it was Sun- day." Very questionable religious spirit I ween. The aboriginals we saw there were apparently happy and well cared for. We were put on the right course for the nearest store. We struck the head of Spring Creek, where we bought some ship biscuits — old, hard, and musty — the only edible procurable. The settlement was deserted, except by the storekeeper. This spot is where the far-famed Daylesford mineral springs are situated. The site of these springs was then a reedy morass. This has all disappeared, only the bed- rock being now visible, the alluvium hav- ing been sluiced away from the lower end of the creek right up to its head. This seems paradoxical, but correct, as sluicers start at the lower end of a creek and work upwards. Wombat Flat was reached that evening. This country was then in its pristine grandeur — magnificent timber, straight as an arrow, trees fully 100 feet high without a branch to affect their symmetrical uniformity, pellucid streams, abundance of grass, and mobs of wallaby and kangaroo. Strange as it now seems, knowing of the enormous wealth this goldfield has since yielded, we met many men returning therefrom to the older diggings, utterly disappointed that there were no diggings there, i.e., it was virgin country. " Turn back," said they ; " there's timber, grass, water, and kan- garoo, but no gold workings." Had the development of that magnificent district been dependent upon such as these pol- troons to pioneer, it and Victoria gene- rally would not have made the glorious headway of which we old colonists are so justly proud. We found that Wombat Flat had had a few holes sunk in it, which, apparently, had not been worked. The locality wore a deserted appearance. The workings were along the beds and banks of the creeks. We set in and worked almost continuously for three months on the Wombat Creek, starting a point about where Mrs. Leggatt's house is built. Our experience warranted us in describing the Jim Crow diggings as the most reliable of any goldfield we ever worked. If men would work they were sure of reward there. One couldn't go wrong ; gold could be got in payable quan- tities on any of the creeks. Rheumatics, through almost continuously working in wet ground, began to affect us. We, therefore, determined to prospect the ranges to the northward of Wombat for drier country for the winter's work. This resulted in our opening up the country known as the Daylesford Dry Diggings. Before leaving on this prospecting expe- dition my mate and I buried our gold, about 60 oz., under the leg of a table in the floor of our tent, which we left stand- ing, and in care of a party tented near us. On returning, three weeks afterwards, our first consideration was, of course, our gold. It was there alright. In our anxiety to unearth it my mate drove a a pick right through the hidden bag and scattered the contents. This necessitated panning off, and we got it all safely bagged again. At this juncture we decided to have a spell, having been nearly seven months on the several goldfields referred to in these articles. We arranged with the same party to again take charge of our tent and tools. This time, as we were going right away from Jim Crow, we confidently re- lied on these men, that in the event of their selling our chattels the proceeds would be in good hands, and should we chance to meet again they would pay us. Several years afterwards my mate went to the first rush at Pleasant Creek, where he saw the sign of " Dermer Brothers," store- keepers, this being the name of those with whom we had left our goods at Wombat. He went into the store, and, sure enough, it turned out right, and the Dermers handed him £8, proceeds of sale. I got my money the first time thereafter my old mate and I met. We tramped it to Melbourne, and arrived there on a Sunday about the end of April. At the Post-Office corner we met one of our mates who left us at Moonlight Flat. He was boot-blacking there, and had already made 30/- that morning before midday. He had done very well hawking fruit, fish, etc., during the week and the box and brushes on Sundays. He had acquired some property and was comfortably set- tled in home at North Melbourne, where we spent our holiday, and left on the 5th May for the M'Ivor diggings. In 1894, 41 years after leaving the Wombat diggings, I took a trip by rail to Daylesford. What a transformation ! These were the same hills, valleys, and creeks, certainly, but bereft of their syl- van beauties and pristine grandeur. These had given place to a well-built substantial town, in full enjoyment of the attributes and accessories of civilisation — churches of every Christian denomination, munici- pal government, magnificent water supply, public gardens, well-made roads and bridges, well-stocked stores, several lines of coaches, and, withal, railway commu- nication with all parts of Victoria, by which one can travel to and from the metropolis in about as many hours as it had taken us days to cover the same dis- tance footing it, as we necessarily had to do, in the fifties.