Peter Frayne mining reports 1876

Date: [unknown] [unknown]
Location: Victoria, Australia

In 1876, Peter Frayne's mining endeavours in Dunolly, Victoria, Australia appear to pay off. Newspapers announce that he found nuggets to the value of £1,000.

Bendigo Advertiser, Vic, 10 April 1876^[1]

BENDIGO STOCK EXCHANGE

DISCOVERY OF LARGE NUGGETS AT THE HARD HILLS RUSH

Our Inglewood correspondent, writing on Saturday, says News reached bore this morning of important discoveries at the Hard Hills rush, Berlin. A Dunolly man, named Peter Frayne, who has been working at the rush ever since it first opened, while digging away in his claim yesterday morning unearthed one nugget, and in the afternoon uncovered another, but I have been unable up to the present to ascertain the exact weight. However, there is no doubt that two nuggets of great value have been brought to light and taken by the finders to Dunolly, where they have been seen by several parties. One account is that the lumps weigh 7 oz and 11 lbs respectively, while another is that the smaller one is 3 lbs in weight. The latter report is probably correct, as I learn from another source that the total weight of gold is 14 lbs - not bad for one day's work. Frayne's claim hits from the first been paying well. It is anticipated that this discovery will create a great rush to the Hard Hills, and perhaps induce many who are hastily going to the as yet doubtful Queensland diggings, to first give a trial to auriferous land that is easy of access.

Bendigo Advertiser, Vic, 10 April 1876^[2]

THE BENDIGO ADVERTISER

THE HARD HILLS RUSH -- A great find by a miner named Peter Frayne, is reported by our Inglewood correspondent and continued by telegram from Maryborough and Inglewood. It appears that Frayne, on Saturday, found nuggets in his claim, the total weight of which roughly weighed in a grocer's scales was 16 lbs. The total value of the nuggets is estimated at £1,000. Great excitement has been caused by this lucky find.

The Argus, Melbourne, Mon 10 April 1876^[3]

TELEGRAPHIC DESPATCHES

INGLEWOOD, SATURDAY.

Five nuggets, combined weight over 17lb., were found at Hard Hill, near Berlin, yesterday by Peter Frayne and party. Mosely and mate from first prospecting claim got 28oz. from nine loads of dirt.

MARYBOROUGH, SATURDAY.

Two nuggets, one weighing 160 oz., the other 40 oz., were brought here to-day, and sold, at the Union Bank by Rolls and Frayne, from the Berlin rush. The nuggets were got at a depth of 36ft, and are splendid specimens. The rush promises to be rich, permanent and extensive.

The Kyneton Observer, Vic, Thurs 13 April 1876^[4]

DISCOVERY OF LARGE NUGGETS AT THE HARD HILLS RUSH

The Inglewood correspondent of the Bendigo Advertiser writing on Saturday says: — News reached here this morning of important discoveries at the Hard Hills rush, Berlin. A Dunolly man named Peter Frayne, who has been working at the rush since it first opened, unearthed one nugget, and in the afternoon uncovered another, but I have been unable up to the present to ascertain the exact weight. However, there is no doubt that two nuggets of great value have been brought to light, and taken by the finders to Dunolly, where they have been seen by several parties. One account is that the lumps weigh 7 ozs and 31 lbs respectively, while another is that the smaller one is 3 lbs in weight. The latter report is probably correct, as I learn from another source that the total weight of gold is 14 lbs — not bad for one day's work. Frayne's claim has from the first been paying well. It is anticipated that the discovery will create a great rush to the Hard Hills, and perhaps induce many who are going to the as yet doubtful Queensland diggings, to first give a trial to auriferous land that is easy of access. The above is confirmed by a telegram from Maryborough aud Inglewood. It appears that Frayne, on Saturday, found nuggets in his claim, the total weight of which, roughly weighed in a grocer's scales, was 16 lbs. The total value of the nuggets is estimated at £1000. Great excitement has been caused by this lucky find.

With respect to the 'Possum-hill rush, Mclntyre's,.the Dunolly Express writes:— " On Friday last Sir P. Frayne and party arrived in Dunolly with two nuggets weighing respectively 148 oz. 19dwt. and 41oz 6dwt. I2gr.—200oz. Besides these, the same party unearthed a bit of 7oz. a few days previously...

Later that year Peter was prospecting at Urana Creek.

The Ballarat Courier, Vic, 11 Nov 1876^[5]

MINING INTELLIGENCE

We learn from a correspondent that a rush of some importance has taken place at a spot five miles from Urana, N.S.W., distant from Deniliquin ninety-four, miles. The yield is hall an ounce of gold to the load, with a heavy wash. The surrounding country is flat, except to the north-east, where it is undulating, with low quartz hills. The geological formation is granitic and erchistone(?), with tertiary drift. Our correspondent says he visited the spot while on railway survey, and as a digger of some twenty years' experience he has no hesitation in saying there is every probability of a rich goldfield bring opened up. Urana is a small town, without, by the way, a single blacksmith. The Urana Creek is half a mile distant from the rush. Peter Frayne (of Dunolly) and party are the prospectors, but the field was opened some six years back. Want of appliances and water, however, caused it to abandoned at that time. There are plenty of teams waiting loading at Deniliquin at moderate rates, and an express waggon will, also start to carry passengers and swags. Parties intending to visit the field will have to take tools with them.

He provides feedback on the Urana Rush in this article:

Bendigo Advertiser, Vic, 24 Nov 1876^[6]

THE URANA RUSH.

Mr Peter Frayne, of the Commercial Hotel Dunolly, has given the following particulate respecting the rush to the Urana goldfields, New South Wales, to the Maryborough Standard.

He states: - I have been here prospectingg during the past four months, and during that time, with a party of five others, we have sunk and driven over 1,000 feet; We discerned two distinct leaders or runs. The shallow lead is 17 feet deep, the washdirt varying from 6 inches to 1 foot, and 35 to 40 feet in width. We have washed from this 23 loads, which averaged ½ oz to the load. The deep lead or run is 100 foot deep, and has from 6 inches to 1 foot of washdirt, which is cementy . We have only washed one small load from this, which yielded 14 dwts and we can see gold in the cement, which should be payable to crush. It was an excellent sample of coarse gold, from a full pea size to split peas, and good wage at it., although the country is very hard both in sinking and driving. It would be no use for anyone to go there unless they are prepared with good mining tools and money to live on, for it takes two men at least four weeks to sink a shaft into deep ground, and about three or four days to sink in the shallow, and then allowance must be made for sinking a few duffers, &c. The surface appearance of the country reminds me of Bendigo and Huntly in the olden times, and I believe in time it will be a payable goldfield. There is permanent water four miles distant. Provisions are moderate, allowing for extra cost for carriage, &c. Should I return soon, I shall be happy to send you a few lines at any time as to the progress of the goldfield, &c. The prospecting claim is registered for the reward of £1,000 which is to be given if the field supports a population of 600 people for six months.

Sources

1. ↑ BENDIGO STOCK EXCHANGE. (1876, April 10). Bendigo Advertiser (Vic. : 1855 - 1918), p. 3. Retrieved April 7, 2022, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article88255425
2. ↑ THE BENDIGO ADVERTISER (1876, April 10). Bendigo Advertiser (Vic. : 1855 - 1918), p. 2. Retrieved April 7, 2022, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article88255435
3. ↑ TELEGRAPHIC DESPATCHES. (1876, April 10). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), p. 5. Retrieved April 7, 2022, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article7436622
4. ↑ DISCOVERY OF LARGE NUGGETS AT THE HARD HILLS RUSH. (1876, April 13). The Kyneton Observer (Vic. : 1856 - 1900), p. 2. Retrieved April 7, 2022, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article240922615
5. ↑ MINING INTELLIGENCE. (1876, November 11). The Ballarat Courier (Vic. : 1869 - 1884; 1914 - 1918), p. 3. Retrieved April 8, 2022, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article207827637
6. ↑ THE URANA RUSH. (1876, November 24). Bendigo Advertiser (Vic. : 1855 - 1918), p. 3. Retrieved April 8, 2022, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article88244108