Making tracks: STAND AND DELIVER!

When gold fever hit the newly formed colony of Victoria in August, 1851, a phenomenal amount of wealth suddenly began to flow between the goldfields and the major towns. According to the Victorian Department of Mines, between the years of 1856 and 1896, miners extracted a staggering 1,898,391 kg of gold from mines and diggings across the colony. With this influx of capital however, came the need to transfer vast sums of gold, cash and other commodities around the colony. It was a problem both for the diggers who struck it lucky and for the colonial government which purchased the gold. Unsurprisingly, this led to an upsurge in numbers taking up that archetypal Australian occupation of bushranging.
Of course, with much of the gold discovered at Ballarat being taken to Geelong along with the movement of diggers potentially carrying large amounts of cash, the roads between the two places were as susceptible to  criminal activity as any in the colony. A quick look at the newspapers of the day will confirm this.
In August, 1852, a group of five bushrangers - known as the Eureka Gang - rode into Buninyong where they proceeded to dine; three at Sellick's Crown Hotel and the remaining two at Neil Jamieson's Buninyong Hotel. Whilst in the course of eating their meal, the chief constable from Buninyong, aided by his counterpart from Chepstow apprehended the three who were at Sellick's Hotel before also taking the pair at Jamieson's into custody. The latter arrests however were not made without a struggle as the constables had to disarm one of the offenders who fired at them as they attempted to make the arrest. A sixth member of the gang had been captured earlier in the day.
Perhaps the most sensational arrest however, was that of the self-styled "Captain" Melville - a career criminal who was transported from Scotland to Van Diemen's Land as a child. Francis Melville (alias Frank McCallum) was one of a number of ex-convicts to make their way from the island to Victoria with the outbreak of the gold rush. After terrorising the roads between Melbourne and Woodend, he headed west, hiding out near the Dundas Ranges before moving south to commit further offences at Fiery Creek, Woady Yallock, Buninyong, Rokewood, Bruce's Creek and finally at Fyansford outside Geelong in December, 1852.

A possible likeness of Captain Melville. Image taken from
The Geelong Advertiser, 21st November, 2015

The newspapers of the day suggest that he and a partner in crime, William Robert Roberts, had been in the area for some time, referring to "two daring bushrangers who have lately levied contributions from travellers on the Leigh and Buninyong Roads" - exactly those routes used by the diggers returning to Geelong. As early as February, 1852 under the name of Edward Melville (alias Edward Jefferies), he staged a successful robbery within three miles of Buninyong, having it was said, been recently in the employ of squatter Henry Winter. In April a reward was posted for his capture.
On the 19th December, Melville and Roberts staged a holdup at Bruce's Creek before heading to Fyansford where they staged another holdup. This time, two bushmen were the victims. Following that attack, the pair made their way into town where they dined at a hotel in Corio Street before retiring late in the afternoon to a nearby brothel where they continued drinking. During the course of conversation two of the women who worked there became suspicious, and hoping to claim the reward money, one distracted Melville whilst the other went for the police.
Suddenly realising that all was not well, Melville made a dash for freedom through a back window, over the fence, knocking over a police officer on his way and headed down Malop St towards what is now Johnstone Park. There he met a gentleman who had been out riding. Melville by now desperate to escape the pursuing police, immediately attempted to unseat the rider and steal his horse, however he was unable to mount the horse which by that time was rearing and bucking in fright and was detained by the good citizen until the police arrived to arrest him. Melville was held in the South Geelong Gaol whilst awaiting his trial and eventually received a lengthy sentence. With the exception of a daring escape attempt, he was never at liberty again. His exploits are described in some detail in George E.Boxall's History of the Australian bushrangers (1908) which is available online.
Melville's precipitous arrest and subsequent death in custody may in some part explain a long-standing local legend which claims that Melville had a hideout near Meredith along Coolebarghurk Creek. It was there, near a tree which pointed in the opposite direction to the prevailing wind that he allegedly hid a substantial stash. The site - which has never been found - was said to be near the creek in the vicinity of where the Meredith Creamery was later built. His arrest and subsequent death would explain why he never returned to claim his booty.

Coolebarghurk Creek at the end of Creamery Rd today. Click to enlarge

The crime along the roads between Geelong and Ballarat however, did not decline with Melville's demise and as Henry Mundy attested in A Young Australian Pioneer (Les. Hughes, 1988), the threat of robbery, not only on the roads, but also in camp where the only protection was a calico tent and a firearm under the bed, was a constant strain on the nerves.
In January, 1853 a gang of four was operating along the Geelong-Buninyong Rd and by late December it was reported that holdups were a daily occurrence between Buninyong and Meredith. In April, 1855 a group of three men armed with pistols was holding up travellers on the road between Steiglitz and Geelong near Colonel Kelsall's property on the Moorabool River. A party of men said to be returning from the diggings were robbed of £40 or around $5,000 in today's terms.

A bush holdup, William Strutt c1855, Image held by the National Library of Australia

Diggers however, did not have to take all the risk upon themselves. They could instead, either sell their gold to dealers at the diggings or they could consign their hard-won earnings to the authorities who in return for a deposit of 1 shilling per ounce of gold would issue the digger with a certificate. The gold thus deposited was taken to Melbourne or Geelong under police escort and could be claimed by the digger on presentation of the receipt along with proof of identification and description of the gold in question.
Neither option was without its problems however. Gold sold on the diggings paid a lower return than could be obtained in Geelong or Melbourne and still left the digger with the problem of protecting their cash until it could be banked, whilst if the gold escort were to be robbed, the government could not be held liable for the diggers' losses. On the goldfields, the diggers often paid for goods in gold rather than with cash. Likewise, payment of the gold license was also made in gold which resulted in large quantities of the precious metal being transferred directly to the government. All this gold also needed to be transported to town - a fact well-known to the bushranging fraternity.
The first gold escort to run between Ballarat and Geelong left the goldfields in September, 1851, only weeks after the initial gold discoveries. Not long after, a reliable mail contractor by the name of Greene was awarded the contract for carrying the gold for both Geelong and Melbourne in locked iron boxes. The escort was to be accompanied by police officers, mounted troopers and members of the Aboriginal Police Force and would travel via the Geelong-Buninyong Track to Geelong where the box for Melbourne would then be forwarded via steamer the following day.

The gold escort leaving Ballarat c1852-4. Image held by the State Library
of Victoria

Of course, if a regular gold escort was to be established, it needed to be serviced. Changes of horse and personnel would be required along the route and it wasn't long therefore before a police paddock was gazetted at the newly surveyed township of Meredith. From this convenient location at the halfway point between Geelong and the Ballarat diggings officers could serve the surrounding district, but were also well placed to escort gold from Steiglitz once mining boomed there too.
Along with the escorts and men came their horses and it wasn't long before contracts were regularly being sought for the supply of oats, hay and other consumables to be delivered to various staging points along the route taken by the gold escort such as Batesford, Lethbridge, Meredith and Burnt Bridge.

View across the Meredith Police Paddock which is now a nature reserve

To oversee proceedings on the government's behalf, Lieutenant-Governor La Trobe was quick to appoint Gold Commissioners who were supported by a raft of Assistant Commissioners and other officials. The role of the Commissioner and his staff was primarily to collect payment and issue gold licences. He was also responsible for collecting the gold to be taken by escort and for resolving disputes over claims which frequently occurred between miners. His most controversial role however, was probably that of law enforcer. It was the Gold Commissioner who ordered the hated "license hunts", during which diggers were required to show a current license or face arrest. In this role, he was backed up by police officers and - at Ballarat - by troopers from the 12th and 40th regiments.

This etching shows diggers lining up to pay for their hated gold licenses at
the gold commissioner's tent in 1852. Image held by the State Library
of South Australia

The first Gold Commissioner in Victoria was appointed and arrived at Ballarat on 19th September, 1851. His name was Francis Crossman Doveton. Upon arrival, he set up his tent on what became known as Old Post Office Hill overlooking Golden Point between the Yarrowee River and Canadian Creek. It was from this point that licenses were issued, gold was collected, ready for transportation to Melbourne and Geelong.
Whilst I found mention of various attacks on individuals and parties travelling between Geelong and the Ballarat diggings, there is no specific mention of an attempt on the gold escort along the route, suggesting perhaps that the diggers' faith in the authorities - in this instance at least - was well placed.

Branching out - Coolebarghurk Creek, looking back

Having seen a little of what the Coolebarghurk Creek looks like now, I thought I'd do a little digging and see how it was in the past.
For 40,000 years before European arrival, the Coolebarghurk and surrounding lands were home to the tribes of the Wathaurong people who would hunt, fish and gather plants from along the creek. The remains of stone tools as well as cooking mounds were found in the Police Paddock, reflecting this early occupation of the land. The name Coolebarghurk is believed to be a version of the Wathaurong name Kooly bar ghurk meaning "man's track by the creek".
White settlement came to the upper part of Coolebarghurk Creek in the form of the Scottish-born squatter John Norman McLeod.  In 1837 he sailed from Van Diemen's Land to the Port Phillip District where he landed at Indented Head with stock which he used to establish the run which it is said, he named Borhoneyghurk after Barnighurk the local Wathaurong tribe.
McLeod claimed the squatting rights to some 24,790 acres of land stretching from Moranghurk Station a few kilometres south of Meredith to Bungal Station north of Mt Doran. To the east, the run was bordered by the Moorabool River and to the west it followed Native Hut Creek and shared boundaries with the run of that name as well as the Woodbourne No. 2, Cargerie, Narmbool and Lal Lal runs.
Local sources indicate that the homestead built by McLeod on his run was situated on high ground about 5km north of what would become the township of Meredith and about half that distance to the south west of Morrisons. The house is now in disrepair but can still be seen from a distance.

Ruins of the original Borhoneyghurk homestead, image taken by Margaret Cooper

Borhoneyghurk homestead,  image taken by Margaret Cooper

McLeod remained at Borhoneyghurk, running sheep on the property until about 1849 when he sold his rights and left the district, along with his wife and three eldest children - all of whom were born at Borhoneyghurk.

Rock piles, remains of Borhoneyghurk homestead, image taken by Margaret Cooper

Timber remains of Borhoneyghurk homestead, image taken by Margaret Cooper

With the departure of John Norman McLeod, the Borhoneyghurk run was divided in two - the majority taking the name Borhoneyghurk East and a smaller section renamed as Borhoneyghurk West of about 5,000 acres which passed into the hands of George Frederick Henry Read Jnr. Looking at the relevant survey map, the homestead would appear to have remained with the land acquired by Read. He in turn only held it until 1853 when he sold it to his brother-in-law Capt. Alexander John Smith.

Image believed to be that of George Frederick Henry Read Jnr,
owner of the Borhoneyghurk West run c1851. Image held by the
Allport Library and Museum of Fine Arts

Prior to McLeod's departure from Borhoneyghurk, he appears to have administered the run along with Mr G.B. Ball and Mr Sinclair, but by 1852, the larger Boroheyghurk East - including much of Coolebarghurk Creek - was taken up by the Reverend Thomas Nattle Grigg who held it for several years until 1856 when the lease was taken up by the Morrison family.
At some point, a second homestead, this one a stone structure, was built on the Borhoneyghurk East run, along the banks of the Moorabool River to the south east of Morrisons township. It is believed that the Morrison family lived here. During the 20th century, the building was demolished and another built by the Miller family who then owned the land.

Borhoneyghurk East stone house on the banks of the Moorabool River near
Morrisons township. Photo supplied by Margaret Cooper

With the discovery of gold in 1851, everything changed. At this time, the township of Meredith was surveyed on the banks of Coolebarghurk Creek near where the old bullock track from Geelong crossed the creek. Buildings sprang up, hotels were opened. The first of these - Watson's Hotel - was situated on the banks of the creek a little to the north of Dickman's Bridge. At this time land was also gazetted for churches and a school and a tract of about 50 acres was reserved along the banks of the creek for the police force who utilised the land as a base for the mounted troops which escorted gold from the nearby Steiglitz goldfield. The town also became a busy staging point for traffic moving not only between Steiglitz and Geelong but also the goldfields of Ballarat, Buninyong and other nearby diggings.
Nor perhaps were settlers and the authorities the only ones to establish a base of operations along the creek. Local legend has it that one of Victoria's most infamous bushrangers, Francis McCallum (aka Captain Melville), established a hideout along the banks of the creek. Whilst I can find no mention of Melville being in the area during the time of his "reign" in the early 1850s, it is easy enough to imagine that a hideout along the creek would have provided a handy base from which to prey upon the diggers with their gold returning to Geelong along the track from Ballarat.
Since Melville's death in 1857, rumours have abounded about a secret stash hidden by the bushranger in the Dundas Ranges, however local legend suggests another location for the loot. During a recent visit to investigate an historic bluestone house which sits on the east bank of the creek at Meredith, we were told of a previous occupant of the property (John Davies) who spent time in gaol with the Captain.

This bluestone house on the east bank of Coolebarghurk Creek dates to the
early years of the 20th century. During the era of Captain Melville, the
land served as the local pound

Whilst serving out their respective sentences, Melville informed Davies that the stash was in fact hidden near the site of the Meredith Creamery not far from the creek. The legend states that Melville claimed to have hidden his riches beneath a tree, which unlike all the others around it, leaned into the prevailing wind.
Most however, came by their riches more honestly and some even tried their hand along Coolebarghurk Creek. The Lord Kitchener Gold Mine, located on the upper reaches of Coolebarghurk Creek and now part a private property, was another of the sites we visited during our travels. The mine was however, a relative latecomer to the scene dating as far as I can tell, to the early 20th century.

The remains of the mullock heap at Lord Kitchener Mine

Reports in the gazettes and newspapers of the day seem a little sketchy, but the Launceston Daily Telegraph of 1st April, 1910 reported that good rock was being extracted from the mine and that the "formation [was] about 6ft wide, and [carried] gold all through it", however I can find no record of the company existing prior to this. In addition and despite having been around for some time, Government Gazettes show that it was first registered as a no liability company in March, 1912 with 24,000 shares valued at 2 shillings each. The capital of the company, including equipment was valued at £300. The company manager was John Ure McLeish.

During our visit we saw the remains of a mullock heap which is still visible and we were shown the depression where the mine shaft once descended.

The poppet head, Lord Kitchener Mine, image supplied
by Margaret Cooper

Also still visible are the concrete footings of the pumps required to keep the mine from flooding - another indication of the amount of water flowing into what appears an almost dry creek bed - fact (we were informed) which led to the eventual abandonment of the site for mining purposes. Anecdotally, the story is that the mine had two periods of operation, the first and most successful, tunneled  towards the creek whereas a later operation which tunneled from the opposite direction was abandoned due to persistent flooding.

Concrete footings said to have supported the pumps which kept the mine from flooding

This end of the Lord Kitchener Mine and possibly the end for mining on the Coolebarghurk altogether, came in December, 1913 when a deed appeared in the Victorian Government Gazette dissolving the syndicate known as the Lord Kitchener Extended Mining &c. and entitling Fitz Alan Boyd acting as liquidator, to all the books and property held by the company.

This shed, once part of the Lord Kitchener mining operation now stands on the
corner of  McLeod and Russell Streets in Meredith, image supplied by
Margaret Cooper

Whilst the big finds of the gold rush eventually petered out, the township of Meredith did not. Many of those who had tried their hand at mining, were now looking to settle on their own piece of land and by the 1870s, closer settlement acts were being passed by the government to encourage this. Instead of two properties, the Coolebarghurk Creek now flowed through many smaller farms, providing water for stock and crops as well as any remaining native flora and fauna along its banks.
Another boost to the district came with the arrival of the railway in 1862 and the re-alignment of the road from Geelong to that of the present Midland Highway route. This saw the focus of the town shift away from the banks of the creek to the west, but commerce continued and the township survived. So too did the little path by the Coolebarghurk Creek. From Wathaurong trail, to the rutted bullock track of the 19th century, to today's Ken Middleton Walk; thousands of years on, man's track by the creek remains.

The Ken Middleton Walk beside Coolebarghurk Creek. During the 1840s and 50s
bullockies and their wagons followed this track along the creek from
Geelong to Ballarat

Highway Robbery!

Whilst I'm on the subject of bushrangers - and in particular Owen Suffolk - his autobiography describes one other story of derring-do which falls within the broader auspices of this blog. Like the exploits of the previous post (BAIL UP!) this escapade involved horse-theft and robbery at gunpoint however if the author is to be believed, it also involved a police chase and a daring escape.
And that, at the moment, is the problem. I can find no mention of the affair - at least as described by Suffolk - in the local papers or indeed from any source other than Suffolk's autobiography (Owen Suffolk: days of crime and years of punishment).

The face of a bushranger: Owen Suffolk, 1829

The tale begins a short time before the Portland Mail Coach hold up when Suffolk and his two compatriots (Christie Farrell and Harry Dowling) were teaching themselves the "bushranger's trade". According to Suffolk, he and Dowling were both well educated and of a somewhat romantic bent, so the mystique of a bushranger's life appealed to them as much as the pecuniary potential.
Rather than paraphrase, I will give Suffolk's version of their first foray into highway robbery:

Before parting that night, Christy, Dowling and I had agreed to meet in three days, each armed with a pair of pistols, and properly mounted at a place called the Back Creek, distant some dozen miles from Geelong. I had sufficient money by me to purchase the pistols. Disguised as an old man, wearing false grey whiskers and large goggle-spectacles, I made a purchase at a gunsmith's shop in Geelong for "that dear boy of mine who would go to California."
The mayor of Geelong's stable furnished me with a saddle and bridle, and a grazing paddock near Bates' Ford provided me with a tolerable steed.
I was first at the rendezvous; but I had not long to wait, for very soon Harry and Christy, splendidly mounted, galloped up.
They had been more thoughtful than myself, and had brought with then a flask of brandy, a couple of cold fowls, &c. I left them to the brandy, but I appropriated a whole fowl by way of a set-off.
We were not long inactive, for shortly after we had finished the fowls and their concomitants, a gig, driven tandem fashion, taking an up-country direction, passed by us. We were soon in pursuit, the gig was quickly overtaken, our pistols were presented in the true Turpin style and with a courtesy worthy of Macaire the gentlemen were requested to resign their valuables into our safe keeping. They had the good sense to comply without giving trouble; but unfortunately they travelled with very little cash in their possession and their watches were silver and antiquated. Politely returning to them their cheque-books, and promising to keep their watches by way of memento, we permitted them to proceed upon their journey. After this valorous exploit we separated, agreeing to meet in Geelong the next day.
It so happened, however, that I was very far from being satisfied with such a poor commencement, and I formed the resolution of doing something singlehanded before returning to town. Towards the evening I stopped a horseman and obtained from him about thirty-three pounds in notes. I hadscarcely finished searching his clothes (for I had made him take off his outer garments) when up rode two mounted police. They were not more than one hundred yards distant when I first saw them, as a bend in the road had prevented me from seeing them before. I was in my saddle in a minute, galloping swiftly across the plains. The police followed, and the "swell" whom I had robbed joined in the pursuit. I looked back every now and then, but the horses seemed well-matched. If I could not leave my pursuers behind, neither did they seem to gain upon me. Once they fired at me with their carbines, but ineffectually. After about an hour's gallop I came full upon the Moorabool River. It was a perfect torrent; and the bridge had been swept away by the fury of the stream. My horse was beginning to flag; and I saw at a glance that if I attempted to follow the course of the river my pursuers would be able to cut me off. Cross the stream I must. The bank was quite precipitous, and about six feet above the level of the stream. My horse at this made a dead stop, and then, maddened by severe spurring, plunged with a bound into the seething waters. We were carried rapidly down the river, and before I had reached the middle of it, the police, too frightened to follow, were firing upon me. Night by this time had well set in, and it was the darkness tat proved my safety. With daylight they could not have missed me as often as they did, for as I was at least a quarter of an hour in reaching the opposite bank, they each fired several shots - the exact number I could not tell. As it was, both myself and my horse escaped unhurt. On reaching the opposite bank I waved my hat, gave a shout of defiance, and galloped off with the full assurance that they would not risk crossing the river. Before daylight I made my way into Geelong, and was snug in bed while the Geelong police were riding all over the country after me. I met my two brother knights the evening after this adventure, and for some time Harry Dowling and myself amused the public and tantalized the police by writing letters and verse to the papers, assuring the former that they would find us zealously industrious, and inviting the latter to catch us if they could.

Police officers on the Ballarat goldfields making an arrest

A grand tale indeed, but one which may owe more to Suffolk's oratory skills than to fact. Having read his version of events, I naturally went looking for corroborative evidence. I hit my first stumbling block when I could find no sign of a Back Creek within the general vicinity of Geelong. There is a creek of that name however, about 12 miles from Ballarat, near the town of Scotsburn on the Midland Highway. Maybe he got his towns muddled.
Next, I searched the newspapers of the day for any reports of highway robbery which fitted the description given by Suffolk. Nothing. Nor was there mention of the mayor (at that time, Dr Alexander Thomson, resident at Kardinia House on the south bank of the Barwon in Geelong) having lost a saddle and bridle or of a horse stolen from Batesford (quite a distance to carry that much equipment before acquiring a horse on which to place them!).
My third approach was to check for reports of a flood at about this time - the Moorabool was, he claimed, "a seething torrent" and the bridge had been "carried away by the fury of the stream". Which bridge? None that I could find were reported as flood-damaged. In fact the papers claimed that two periods of rain in early and mid-March had saved the district from a severe drought, there was certainly no discussion of a flood.

Russell's Bridge over the Moorabool River possibly during the 19th century,
a bridge at this point dates to the early 1850s.

As for a six foot leap into the Moorabool, well that was possible, the riverbanks are quite steep in places. Taking 15 minutes to cross the stream, coming out in one piece and still in control of his mount? That I'm not so sure about. Granted, the Moorabool had not at that time been dammed and may have flowed more strongly than today, but it is not a big river.
A little more rifling and I finally came across a report of robbery on a public highway leading from "Mr Yuille's property" (the vicinity of Lake Wendouree in Ballarat) and Buninyong on 28th March, 1851, in which Mr Michael Cavenagh was held up at gunpoint by two assailants and relieved of his horse, its tack and his other valuables. One of his assailants it later transpired, was Suffolk.
 I also found an article in the Geelong Advertiser published after his trial for the mail coach robbery which, in part, included a letter written by him (but not named as such) in which he boasted about robbing Cavenagh, much as he described in his book. The Advertiser it seems had not deemed the content worthy of publication until Suffolk's notoriety had been revealed.
So, was this robbery the basis of Suffolk's writings? It is the only likely event I can find on record but there is no mention of an escape from the law or a daring river-crossing. Dramatic licence? Perhaps. Or maybe the second hold up and subsequent chase didn't come to the attention of the press, however if it was anywhere near as dramatic as Suffolk describes then that seems unlikely.
Assuming for a moment that such a chase did take place after the robbery near Ballarat and that Suffolk as he claimed, galloped for an hour before coming upon the Moorabool, he must have been riding either south or south west towards Geelong (his eventual destination).
But where was the missing bridge? In 1851 there were significantly fewer bridges across the Moorabool than there are today. In fact within about 30 miles of Buninyong there were only one or two bridges which I can tentatively identify. One, described as a "hand bridge" over the Moorabool near Lal Lal Falls on the way to Corduroy Bridge (Clarendon) was reported as swept away in 1855. Another was Sharps Bridge on the road of the same name a few miles past Meredith.

The current version of Sharp's Bridge

Either way, this would still have left a relatively lengthy ride (25 miles or more) back to Geelong before dawn with a rather tired horse. Not impossible I guess.
Well at this point I have to admit defeat. I have tried everything I can think of but am still not convinced that the events described above occurred at least in some form. I will continue searching, but for now, this blog needs to be posted.
Either way you have to admit that the Convict Poet spins a darn good yarn!