miners.
One journalist reaches for his quill and describes it thus: ‘The point was occupied by about fifteen parties cutting straight into the hill, and as we looked down upon their busy movements, digging, carrying earth, and working the cradles at the edge of the water, with the noise of the pick, the sound of voices, and the washing of the shingle in the iron boxes of the cradle, I could scarcely believe that barely two weeks ago, this was a quiet secluded gully in a far out cattle run.’
It is far from secluded now. They are now part of a noisy swarm, not only loving finding the gold, but loving the prospecting life as well. As observed by one digger, James Bonwick, ‘The wild, free and independent life appears the great charm. They have no masters. They go where they please and work when they will.’
1 pm, Monday, 9 June 1851, passions rise in the Hall of the Mechanics’ Institution, Collins Street
And still they stream in! It is one of the largest daytime gatherings yet seen in Melbourne. At five minutes past the hour the hall is already more than half full, and it continues to fill so rapidly that it soon goes from ‘standing room only’ to people who are listening outside continually shouting ‘Speak up!’ so that they, too, may follow proceedings. For the issue at hand is important: what can be done to prevent the colony from continually bleeding vast numbers of its workers to the New South Wales goldfields?
Upon the motion being put by one of the first settlers of the colony after Batman, the distinguished politician John Pascoe Fawkner, that the Mayor of Melbourne chair the meeting – and that motion being passed – that gentleman takes over.
William Nicholson begins by noting that the purpose of the gathering is to raise a significant amount of money, ‘which can be offered as a reward to any person or persons who shall within a given time make known the locality of a gold mine, [in this region] capable of being worked to advantage’.
Nearly all at the meeting are in furious agreement that the move is necessary, as many of the colony’s finest step up to the podium to not only pledge their own money but to exhort others to do the same.
Councillor McCombie is blunt in stating outright that, ‘If something is not done to prevent the present universal movement for the goldfield, property will suffer and be reduced in value, buildings will be stopped, and the city be almost denuded of its population.’ For his part, Councillor Hodgson maintains, ‘If we act properly, the discovery of gold in these parts will turn out to be one of great advantage to this colony, as it is no doubt one of the wise dispensations of Providence for bringing population to this country. We have seen that when there was famine in Great Britain numbers had departed from that country for Canada and America; but when gold was found in California, the tide of emigration went there. I think that gold being found in this colony is another means used by Providence to send population here.’
Others take a less benign view of Providence, warning starkly that if they do ‘not now make an effort and do something, our working men will all rush to Sydney’.
Despite the general alarm, the gathering is not without some levity, with Councillor McCombie drawing great laughter when, after others suggest that a reward should also be offered for the finding of other valuable minerals, he sagely notes, ‘No shrine, Pagan or Mahommedan, has drawn as many pilgrims as that of gold’. He goes on: ‘Should we succeed in finding gold, we will make this colony great, fully one hundred years before she could otherwise arrive at greatness.’
Hear, hear. Hear, HEAR!
But wait, what’s this? For among all the learned, distinguished and well-groomed gentlemen suddenly stands a poorly dressed fellow with the huge, rough hands that mark him as one who must bear a pick, shovel or some other rough tool for a living. Unbidden, he now
One journalist reaches for his quill and describes it thus: ‘The point was occupied by about fifteen parties cutting straight into the hill, and as we looked down upon their busy movements, digging, carrying earth, and working the cradles at the edge of the water, with the noise of the pick, the sound of voices, and the washing of the shingle in the iron boxes of the cradle, I could scarcely believe that barely two weeks ago, this was a quiet secluded gully in a far out cattle run.’
It is far from secluded now. They are now part of a noisy swarm, not only loving finding the gold, but loving the prospecting life as well. As observed by one digger, James Bonwick, ‘The wild, free and independent life appears the great charm. They have no masters. They go where they please and work when they will.’
1 pm, Monday, 9 June 1851, passions rise in the Hall of the Mechanics’ Institution, Collins Street
And still they stream in! It is one of the largest daytime gatherings yet seen in Melbourne. At five minutes past the hour the hall is already more than half full, and it continues to fill so rapidly that it soon goes from ‘standing room only’ to people who are listening outside continually shouting ‘Speak up!’ so that they, too, may follow proceedings. For the issue at hand is important: what can be done to prevent the colony from continually bleeding vast numbers of its workers to the New South Wales goldfields?
Upon the motion being put by one of the first settlers of the colony after Batman, the distinguished politician John Pascoe Fawkner, that the Mayor of Melbourne chair the meeting – and that motion being passed – that gentleman takes over.
William Nicholson begins by noting that the purpose of the gathering is to raise a significant amount of money, ‘which can be offered as a reward to any person or persons who shall within a given time make known the locality of a gold mine, [in this region] capable of being worked to advantage’.
Nearly all at the meeting are in furious agreement that the move is necessary, as many of the colony’s finest step up to the podium to not only pledge their own money but to exhort others to do the same.
Councillor McCombie is blunt in stating outright that, ‘If something is not done to prevent the present universal movement for the goldfield, property will suffer and be reduced in value, buildings will be stopped, and the city be almost denuded of its population.’ For his part, Councillor Hodgson maintains, ‘If we act properly, the discovery of gold in these parts will turn out to be one of great advantage to this colony, as it is no doubt one of the wise dispensations of Providence for bringing population to this country. We have seen that when there was famine in Great Britain numbers had departed from that country for Canada and America; but when gold was found in California, the tide of emigration went there. I think that gold being found in this colony is another means used by Providence to send population here.’
Others take a less benign view of Providence, warning starkly that if they do ‘not now make an effort and do something, our working men will all rush to Sydney’.
Despite the general alarm, the gathering is not without some levity, with Councillor McCombie drawing great laughter when, after others suggest that a reward should also be offered for the finding of other valuable minerals, he sagely notes, ‘No shrine, Pagan or Mahommedan, has drawn as many pilgrims as that of gold’. He goes on: ‘Should we succeed in finding gold, we will make this colony great, fully one hundred years before she could otherwise arrive at greatness.’
Hear, hear. Hear, HEAR!
But wait, what’s this? For among all the learned, distinguished and well-groomed gentlemen suddenly stands a poorly dressed fellow with the huge, rough hands that mark him as one who must bear a pick, shovel or some other rough tool for a living. Unbidden, he now
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