5 
THE DISCOVERY OF THE OVENS GOLD-FIELD IN 1852. 
(no. 6 ON LOCALITY MAP.) 
By the late Hon. David Reid. 
I was at my station at Wooragee (afterwards known as Gemmel’s 
station). In the evening, two young men came and asked to stay for 
the night. I got into conversation with them, and they mentioned that 
they had been with Mr. Smyth, surveying the mountains (Omeo country) 
on geodetic work, and that they had been discharged. They said to 
me, “ This looks like gold country.” I asked them whether they knew 
anything about gold, and they said they had been to California diggings, 
and that if they had the tools they would try that part of the country. 
I asked them what tools they wanted. They said a pick, a spade, a tin 
dish to prospect with, and some rations. I said, “ For that matter, I 
will supply them myself.'’ They had been conversing with my shepherd, 
a man named Howell, and had received information from him about the 
country; and shortly after our conversation Howell came to me and asked 
to be allowed to go with the two men. I said, “ You can go for two or 
three days if your wife shepherds the sheep” ; and this he and his wife 
agreed to do. 
On the third day after they started, they discovered gold on the creek 
in front of the out-station hut, that stood where Beechworth now stands. 
This hut was built of slabs, with bark roof, and stood near the creek 
on the west side of it, and just above the falls—just above the present 
bridge joining Beechworth and Newtoun. The three men sunk some shal¬ 
low holes 2 to 3 'feet deep on the edge of the creek, and washed the 
stuff on the rock in the dish. Howell returned and mentioned the matter 
to me. Then the news got about that gold was found in the creek, and 
men came from Albury and from Wangaratta. Among the first arrivals 
were John Fisher and William Wise from Albury, and Alexander Mel- 
drum and Alexander Tone from Wangaratta. They sank alongside the 
first claims, and got good gold. Then a great rush set in, and men came 
from all parts. 
Reid’s Creek. 
The same two men, with Howell, when they saw what a rush had set 
in, and that thousands of men were arriving, set out with the object of 
prospecting afresh. I heard from Howell that they were working, how¬ 
ever, down the same creek (Reid’s Creek, known as such for many years 
before this, as our stations were on it). One day my brother John and 
myself were going round the stations, and I said, “ Let us go up towards 
the falls, as Howell and his mates are prospecting about there, and we 
shall see what luck they have had.” Accordingly, we made up the 
creek—Reid’s Creek—from the wool-shed, and just above the junction of 
Rocky Creek and Wool shed Creek, we found Howell and his party. 
They saw us coming, and we saw them hastily put a pint pannikin under 
the bank of the creek. I said, “ What luck have you had, Howell ? ” 
“ Oh ! ” he said, “just middling,” showing a small Quantity of gold. 
“ Oh ! ” I said, “ that is all moonshine. What is that you’ve got under 
the bank? ” They laughed. “ Out with it,” I said, “ and let us have 
a look at it.” They brought it out, and there was a pannikin nearly 
filled with gold, almost 14 lbs. weight, roughly. They had only been 
there a few days. They begged me to say nothing about it, but it soon 
leaked out, and a rush set in. Reid’s Creek was discovered about three 
