FIRST CENTURY OF DAIRYING IN NEW SOUTH WALES. 



the farm and managing the business of the dairy now extended far 

 and wide from the original goldfield, or to detail operations conducted 

 on those sites. We merely notice the discovery as a iact of high in- 

 terest in the history of the development of dairying in Australia, and 

 of immense political importance, altering the social condition of the 

 colonies, and opening for the redundant population of Great Britain 

 and Ireland a remunerative labor market, and a field >for enterprise and 

 speculation. 



An old shepherd appears to have long visited Sydney at intervals, 

 bringing pieces of gold to dispose of ; but he kept his secret, and no 

 information transpired respecting the source of his wealth till the 

 discovery was effected in the early part of the year 1851 by a returned 

 and disappointed adventurer from California a Mr. Hargreaves, who 

 had been farming near Da,pto, in Illawarra, in the early forties. This 

 individual, a man of practical sagacity, was led to explore the Bathurst 

 district by an impression that many parts of it through which he had 

 formerly travelled bore a strong resemblance to the California!! gold- 

 lields in aspect and structure. On February I2th, 1851, his opinions 

 were substantiated by the discovery of gold. On April 3rd, same 

 year, he reported his success to the Government. On April 3Oth the 

 spot was located. On May 6th, the opening week of the Great Ex- 

 hibition, 4 oz. of gold were produced at a public meeting at Bathurst. 

 On May 22nd an official proclamation declared the rignts of the Crown 

 in respect to gold -iound in its natural place of deposit within the ter- 

 ritory o-i New South Wales, a Commissioner, Mr. Hardy, being ap- 

 pointed to issue licenses monthly, at the rate of 305. each legalising, 

 on certain terms, the search for it. June 2nd Mr. Hardy arrived on 

 "Summerhill," the site of the first Australian goldrield. 



For this discovery and making good his claim as being the first 

 man on payable gold in Australia, Mr. Edward Hargreaves was re- 

 warded by the Government with 500, and he afterwards received a 

 vote of io,oco from New South Wales and 2000 .from Victoria. 

 During 1851 a solid lump of gold weighing nearly icwt., worth 4000, 

 was found at Meroo Creek, near Bathurst, by an aboriginal shepherd 

 in the employ of Dr. Kerr, and fresh discoveries oi gold were made 

 at Ophir, Turon River, and Braidwood. 



To show the extent of the gold fever in New South Wales, there 

 were within ten days of the discovery being proclaimed 400 adven- 

 turers on the Ophir ; these had increased in another fortnight to 2000, 

 with hundreds on the way. At one time there were as many as 20,000 

 estimated to have been assembled on the banks of the Tifron River. 

 Sydney altogether changed its aspect. Shops shut up, warehouses 

 closed, and regular employment came to a standstill. Constables 

 threw down their truncheons by the dozen, crews ran away from their 

 ships, shepherds left their flocks on the runs, servants and apprentices 

 absconded ; until at last magistrates, lawyers, physicians, clerks, and 

 tradesmen joined the crowd of laborers, and went oft across the Blue 

 Mountains, using all manner of conveyances for themselves and their 

 trappings carriages, gigs, drays, carts, wheelbarrows, &c. 



But having indulged the most extravagant expectations of the 

 facility with which wealth might be acquired, while wholly unfitted 

 for the rough life and hard work necessary to procure any return, 

 many were seen in a few weeks wending their way back to thci'r de- 

 serted homes and families in miserable plight. However, 3,000,000 

 \vn> obtained in about twelve months, which is a magnificent item. 

 Yet it was largely a lottery, in which there were great prizes and 

 many blanks. Though a somewhat equable diffusion of the precious 

 product ma'rkcd certain districts, such as the banks of the Turon, 

 when- it was compared to " wheat sown in a field." the distribution 

 tt-as generally capricious. 



IQO. 



