JOHN DICKIE 707 



In all probability this (1887) trip of Dickie's is the one of which 

 James Dick gives further details in the unpublished article already 

 referred to and in a letter to me dated 24th August, 1915. It 

 appears that Dickie was landed by CAPTAIN THOMSON at CAPE 

 WEYMOUTH. His equipment consisted of a piece of calico, a blanket, 

 a gun, a quart pot, tea and sugar and a bag of oatmeal. " Alone 

 and on foot, he made his way to civilisation, locating tin on the 

 way." 



DISCOVERY OF HAMILTON GOLDFIELD 



DICKIE, who had been prospecting single-handed since 1898, 

 with assistance from the Government, reported the discovery of 

 ALLUVIAL GOLD on 2nd January, and REEF GOLD on 2jth January, 

 1900. The new goldfield was "provisionally" opened on I2th 

 March and " proclaimed " on I3th July. 



The present township of EBAGOOLAH is on a plateau about 

 800 feet above the sea. (SEE MAP F.) The first " rush," which 

 took place in March, 1889, was to a camp about a mile north of 

 the township of Ebagoolah, which was surveyed without delay. 

 Its population for the first year was estimated at 330. A five- 

 head BATTERY was erected, and by the end of 1900 had crushed 226 

 tons of stone for 806 ounces of gold, while alluvial gold amounted 

 to 12,000 ounces. A ten-head BATTERY from the Coen was 

 installed on the Hamilton in 1901. " The only conspicuous hills 

 within many miles of the camp," says LIONEL BALL, " are Old 

 and New Mounts Ryan and Mount Lee-Bryce. New Mount 

 Ryan, which lies south of the camp, rises to about 1,100 or 1,200 

 feet above sea-level." 



In his report (written in 1901) Ball gives the population of the 

 township at 300 to 400. Thirty lines of REEF were being worked 

 when he wrote. Water was scarce, the domestic supply being from 

 a well. The ALLUVIAL GOLD was of poor quality, worth only 

 2 i6s. per ounce, and was partly recovered by " dry-shaking," 

 the tailings being stacked for further treatment in the wet season. 

 The heaviest NUGGET (found in CORBETT'S CREEK) was 100 ounces. 

 DICKIE'S P.C. GULLY is between the old Post Office and the 

 Police Camp. Dickie himself did not make much out of it, and 

 soon sold out his claim. From one claim on NUGGETY GULLY, 

 1,200 ounces of gold were obtained. DUNWICH, JACKSON'S, 

 PETERSON'S, DICK'S, CORBETT'S and other GULLIES are mentioned 

 by Ball as prolific sources of alluvial gold, while it lasted. He 

 believed that although the alluvial gold had already been nearly 

 worked out, the Hamilton would prove a " permanent " reefing 

 field. 1 



VIOLETVILLE, another reefing centre in the Hamilton Goldfield, 



1 Ann. Reports Dept. of Mines and Report on the Hamilton and Coen Goldfields, by 

 Lionel C. Ball, 1901 (No. 163 of Geological Survey Publications). 



