Banking Under Difficulties/Chapter 13
CHAPTER XIII.
On Monday, 29th July, I made a start from Yass to Burrowa, en route for Lambing Flat, in company with Messrs. McCarthy, Towson, and Milne, of the Oriental Bank. We remained at Burrowa till the 31st, when an escort consisting of Messrs. McCarthy, Towson, and Milne, of the Oriental Bank; Messrs. George Green, J. L. Cobb, and Gannon, of the Commercial Bank; and Messrs. T. O. S. Green, Spofforth, Russell, and myself, of the Bank of New South Wales, started for the Flat with the treasure. We were all armed, and when we reached our destination at half-past five p.m. we found that the military had arrived at two o'clock that afternoon.
The bank was not a very elegant looking building—a slab hut, with weatherboard front, and iron roof, part of a building occupied by a shanty-keeper. Behind the bank office (a room 8 x 10) was another room about the same size, which was used as a dining-room, and in which Thompson, the messenger, slept. He always slept with an axe by his side, for, as he said, “It would never miss fire, and was a good weapon at close quarters.” Russell slept behind the counter, and I in a space between the dining-room and office divided off by a sheet of bark, with just room for a stretcher. On the whole the quarters were not so bad; certainly much better than I had the first few months of my stay at Kiandra. I went to bed early the night we arrived, feeling tired after my ride, but not to sleep—that was impossible. In the next building, which was only divided from us by a slab partition, a lot of the “Boys” were assembled singing, yelling, cursing, and swearing—a noise which Thompson informed me was “a nightly occurrence.” Oftentimes Thompson would get savage, and call out, “Go home to bed,” then they would reply with a volley of abuse, and threaten to come in and do all sorts of wicked things. I found the Flat pretty lively. The first rush took place on a station situated on the Burrangong Creek, and on what was known as “Lambing Flat.” Diggers generally spoke of the rush as the “Flat,” although the post town was Burrangong, and the Government named the township “Young,” so that we had no less than three names for the place, viz.: The Flat, Burrangong, and Young. A rush having just taken place close to, in fact in the township, Russell and I found plenty to do. Saturday was our great gold-buying day. The diggers would begin to pour in about two o’clock, and from that time to seven or eight we were kept hard at work. There was many a growl at the apology for a bank. In front of the counter there was only room for half-a-dozen men at a time; sometimes there were that many in a party; others would come and stand about the door, at last get tired of “airing their heels,” and go off to another bank. The Oriental Bank had a more commodious building, not so the Commercial, which was even smaller than ours, but much more comfortable. Our opposite neighbour was William Mears, or, as he styled himself the “Greatest Wonder of the World.” The principal hotel (Great Eastern) was the only one patronised by the officers of the 12th regiment, the commissioners, and bankers, where we met every afternoon and evening. Garrotting was the order of the day, or rather night. When I first went to the Flat, I have often, when snug in bed, heard some poor fellow, who was being eased of his cash, calling out, “Murder,” “Police.” In coming home from the Great Eastern I invariably carried a revolver with me. One night I came in about eleven o’clock. Thompson told me he was sitting reading with the back door open as the chimney was smoking, when a big fellow walked in and asked him for a drink of water, which he gave him. When the man went away, Thompson took the precaution of shutting and locking the door. It was well he did so, for in about ten minutes he returned, and wanted Thompson to let him in, which he declined to do, telling him “to be off about his business;” in the meantime I came in. Thompson was just telling me about this when we heard a hammering at the front door. I called out, “Who’s there,” when the same fellow said, “I want to come in.” “If you’re not off in one minute I’ll fire at you through the door,” said I. When he retreated a few steps, I opened the door, raised my revolver and fired; not at, but close by him. He then took to his heels and was seen no more. Next morning I went to see if I could find any trace of the bullet, and found it lodged in one of the post office piles, a distance of sixty yards from where I fired. Russell and I lived at the bank. Thompson was not much of a cook, but we preferred a steak at home to a better meal at an hotel.
23rd October.—Great many diggers left for New Zealand. Truly the digger is a migratory being; no matter how well he may be doing, or comfortably settled in a place, at the first talk of a rush he is for “off,” sells out, and away he goes; in this instance, several hundreds of miles. I presume this is to be accounted for by the fact that the man who is the first on a new field stands the best chance. It may be so; but of this I am certain, these changes are good for his constitution, and a pleasant break in what otherwise must be a very monotonous life. For instance, say a miner sold out of a claim on Lambing Flat and went to New Zealand, was unlucky, and returned, the change of climate and sea air must do him good, and although his pocket may suffer, still he is the gainer of something. Yates arrived here this afternoon from Kiandra, having closed the agency there. He is off to New Zealand. Remained with us for a few days, then took his departure for Sydney. How, when, and where I next met him will be seen in a following chapter.
A large population, comprising men of all creeds, and almost all nations, reckless in the extreme, and ready for any emergency, many of whom were without character, while on the other hand there were hundreds of honest, hard-working men, determined to put down ruffianism at all risks. Such was the state of affairs at this human hive in 1861. All the Australias were casting a longing look at this far-famed goldfield. Men from each colony were arriving daily, and early in 1861 there could not have been less than 13,000 (thirteen thousand) souls located within the radius of the goldfields. The first gentleman, or at any rate, one of the first that appeared amongst us to teach us to “love our neighbour as ourselves,” and to inculcate divine knowledge into the hearts of the multitude was a diminutive cleric hailing from the ranks of the great John Wesley. He took up his quarters at the Great Eastern for the night, and was accommodated with a shake-down on the billiard table. Next morning he sought shelter under the wings of the camp, and announced that divine service would be held there on the following Sunday. Only half-a-dozen attended. He then and there bade farewell to the unruly flock. The next clergyman that arrived displayed far more tact and energy. He quietly took all the jibing that was indulged in at his expense with good-will. Nothing daunted he made arrangements for a service on the vacant ground near the Great Eastern; got some temporary seats erected, and on Sunday morning started the bellman round the town to announce that divine service would be held at eleven a.m. Some 120 to 150 availed themselves of the opportunity of listening to good solid truths. Soon after this we were favoured with occasional visits from clergymen connected with the Church of England at the neighbouring townships. The Roman Catholics were, however, the first to build a church at Lambing Flat. The honour belongs to the Congregational body for having first established a Protestant church. This came about in the following way:— The Rev. J. D. Thane, formerly connected with the Mariners’ Church, Sydney, resigned his charge there, and determined to establish a cause at Lambing Flat. On his arrival at Goulburn he met Mr. Henry Greig, storekeeper, of Lambing Flat, who drove him in a buggy to the diggings. Letters of introduction brought him into contact with Mr. William Bigg, a storekeeper in Main-street, with whom he remained for some weeks.Many almost insurmountable obstacles presented themselves, but Mr. Thane was determined, and at once set to work. He purchased an old patched-up tent for £1, and expended £2 or £3 in seats and small bush tables. Notices were issued, and Sunday morning saw him with a congregation of seven worshippers, viz., two Presbyterians, a solitary member of the Church of England, two Wesleyans, one Baptist, and one Congregationalist. At the conclusion of the service Mr. Thane announced that a public meeting would be held in the church on the following evening, when he would lay before them his credentials, &c. The meeting was held; only seven or eight persons attended. The agreement then entered into was that Mr. Thane was to be satisfied with the offerings of the people, which gradually increased from 3s. 6d., 5s., 7s., to 12s., 15s., 20s., and an occasional small nugget. After a few weeks it was arranged by two or three of the prime movers in this matter that a commodious iron house (built for a publichouse) should be rented at a rental of 12s. 6d. per week. The rent was always forthcoming. Comfortable seats were erected, and a large congregation gathered together within twelve months. Mr. Thane was duly ordained to the pastorate, and a new church, at a cost of £200, was built, the minister’s stipend increasing in like manner. Such was the beginning of that gentleman’s labours at Lambing Flat. After the decline of the goldfields Mr. Thane resigned his charge and went to England.
