350 NORTHMOST AUSTRALIA 



In May, 1868, Daintree was appointed Government Geologist 

 for the Northern Division of Queensland, and C. D'Oyley H. 

 Aplin for the Southern. 



Daintree's first official report was dated October, 1868, and 

 was descriptive of the CAPE RIVER GOLD DIGGINGS, of which 

 geological maps, on the Victorian model, were given. 



In March, 1869, he led a party of prospectors from Mitton's 

 Oak Park Station on the Copperfield River, and with their assist- 

 ance blazed a track to the scene of his gold discoveries in the Gilbert 

 Ranges. He left the prospectors on payable (alluvial) gold near 

 the junction of the " Forty-one Mile Creek " with the Gilbert 

 River, while his own party went on and found further payable gold 

 in a tributary of the Gilbert to which he gave the name of the 

 PERCY RIVER. His report is dated 7th April, 1869. 



His " Progress Report," dated 2Oth April, 1869, has a map in 

 which the locality of the new discoveries is given with relation 

 to already known places, such as Oak Park and Carpentaria Downs, 

 and CAVE AND AGATE CREEKS, tributaries of the Robertson River, 

 are named for the first time and are indicated as gold-bearing. 

 By this time there were 200 diggers on the ground, and Daintree 

 recommended a site for a township (which was shortly afterwards 

 established and named GILBERTON. 



From the Gilbert, he went to the new gold diggings on DELANY 

 CREEK and the head of the ETHERIDGE RiVER, 1 and then returned 

 to Maryvale, his home and headquarters, where he wrote his 

 report, dated 1 8th June, 1869, " On the Gilbert Ranges Gold- 

 fields." The report was accompanied by a geological map of 

 the district visited. 



It must have been something of a surprise for the competent 

 geologist and altruistic citizen who had just handed over his own 

 gold discoveries to the public, to find awaiting him on his return 

 home an official intimation that after the conclusion of the current 

 financial year (3Oth June), the estimates would make no provision 

 for the Geological Survey. The precise political significance of 

 this action is still a mystery to me, since it is evident that Daintree 

 had not lost the confidence of the Government, who employed 

 him for the remainder of his life and eventually advanced him to 

 practically the highest non-political position within its gift, the 

 Agent-Generalship of the Colony (he was the last non-political 

 Agent- General). Aplin retired at once from the service and took 

 up commercial pursuits (tin-mining and tin-buying at Stan- 

 thorpe). 



After completing a geological survey of Peak Downs, Mount 



1 Named, as I am informed by Mr. Alfred Foot, after Donald Etheridge, who, in 1864, 

 took cattle from Carpentaria Downs down the valley of the Etheridge to stock R. Town 

 & Co.'s newly acquired station, MIRANDA DOWNS, on the Gilbert River (Queensland 

 4-mile Map, Sheet 18 B). 



