1869 -1874
Jan 1869 P Walsh from the Back Creek and I took a mile of dog leg fence from P Walsh of Kikiamah at 25 pounds per mile. We rode out to Kikiamah. While cutting the timber for the fence, we stayed in a hut up the creek. The Joyces lived there some time previous. We were about twenty days cutting the timber for the fence. Paddy went home for about a week. When he came back, he and I agreed with P Walsh to enlarge a dam on a sheep station on the Bland road near the swamp. We worked at the dam for about a week. We then made a sheep yard near the dam. We then came in to Kikiamah. Paddy, Ned Ryan and I commenced to put up the dog leg fence that we had cut. We put up about a mile of the fence. Paddy went home. I stayed at Kikiamah. I used to be in the bush after cattle. I had to count sheep and see that the shepherds got their rations. Sometimes cutting bark and other times ringbarking trees in the paddocks. Bill Walters and I put bark on a large shed. They use it for a wheat shed and a wool shed. I believe I came home to Cowra in October 1869.
Oct 1869 I agreed with Tom Walsh to drive a horse and cart, carting wash dirt to a puddling machine at Woods Flat. P Fitzgibbon working the puddling machine. I carted wash dirt for about two months.
9 Mar 1870 P Fitzgibbon and I pegged out a three acre lease, joining Hyde’s prospecting claim. The Hydes in three weeks bottomed on good payable gold. Four Germans joined us in the Lease. I took Fitz’ place at the puddling machine and put a man on the Lease at two pounds ten shillings per week. I worked at the puddling machine up to April 27, 1870.
27 Apr 1870 The day of the great flood in the Lachlan River at Cowra. Mr and Mrs Walsh started in the day before the flood and left me in charge of the public house.
28 Apr 1870 Great rain. William Ryan married Mary Neville at Cowra[1]. Mr and Mrs Walsh came back to Woods Flat. The next morning I went to Cowra. All the river flats were covered with mud. I cleaned the mud out of our old house and stayed a few days, and went back to Woods Flat. In about ten days the water overflowed the river banks again and came into our house. I had to come into Cowra and clean the mud out of our house again. I stayed a day or two and went back to Woods Flat. I worked at the puddling machine until Tom Walsh sold it to Cahill and party. I paid the man I had working for me and went to work in the claim myself.
8 Feb 1871 Grace O’Shaughnessy born.
5 Apr 1871 Pat Fitzgibbons with his horse and spring cart, John Hogan, Phil Neil, another man and I started to a rush below the Junction Reefs on the Belubula River. We pegged out a claim. The prospectors could get a little find gold but not enough to pay. We prospected all the ranges for reefs and the river bed for alluvial. We could not find anything to pay. A 35 stamper battery working at the Junction Reef. Chrieton in charge for the Company. Tom Walsh keeping a Public houset here. John Hogan and I started to Canowindra on horseback to a rush there. Got there at 10 o’clock that night. Stayed at John Flanagan’s Public house. In the morning we went up to the rush. There was about two miles pegged out. There was no chance for us to get a claim. We made up our minds to go to Cargo – 15 miles. There was a rush there. We stayed at Jeremiah Hartigan’s all night. The lead appears as if it was coming into Hartigan’s paddock. The next morning we started for the camp. Got there at dark. Next day we packed up and started for Canowindra. We camped at the rush at Canowindra. Next morning we started for Cargo. We camped below Hartigan’s paddock on the creek. We were looking around for three or four days before we made up our minds what to do. We agreed with Hartigan to take up a claim in his paddock, each man to pay 1 pound per month. We sank three shafts and got up a few loads and washed it in a Ton od Cridlands? In Hartigan’s paddock. Not enough to pay. Very fine gold and any amount of black sand. Very troublesome to separate from the black sand. We visited the Canowindra Caves. The first I ever saw. Outside Hartigan’s paddock there were a few good claims. There were about 400 diggers on the ground. P. Fitz. and I made up our mind to go back to Woods Flat again and have another try in a fancy place of ours. Phil Neil, John Hogan and other man started for Gulgong. P. Fitz. And I came back Jul 1871.
Jul 1871. We stayed a few days in Cowra and then went out to Woods Flat. We took up an old hut that Rogers used to live in near the top of the lead. During the time we were away there was a party sunk a shaft on the very spot we had intended to sink. When we came the party was leaving. They gave us the shaft. This shaft was sunk there on the old workings When they bottomed, they drove into the old ground, but could no t find anything. We took James Rogers as a mate. We were a few days fossicking along the sides of an old workings. At one place there was a large boulder sticking out of the side. We agreed to put in a drive there – 20 feet, so if there was another outside run of gold. We drove about 15 feet and came upon some wash. We washed the load in a Tom and got about 2 oz. of gold. We had a prospecting area pegged out. Next day we went to Cowra to register our claim. There were two claims in our prospecting claim. We laid on three men to take up the spare ground we had. Pat and I kept the fourth share. Some fellows disputed this claim. The case was heard in Cowra before a bench of magistrates but our party got the claim. We sunk a new shaft. There were four claims working above us. We bottomed and followed the run of wash up the lead for about 80 feet and to our great surprise the gutter run out into the old workings in the other claim we had the share in. They got a nugget of 83 ozs and in the next claim a nugget of 45 ozs. Our paddock of wash dirt only averaged about 5 pennyweights to the load. We prospected further up the side of the old workings and found where the run came in, that they were getting the nuggets on. We followed it up to our boundary. It was a poor wash. We sunk a shaft on the south side of our claim to see if we could get another outside run. We bottomed at 45 feet. Pink bottom and soft. We came on a wash full of white clinkers, different to any other wash on Woods Flat. We washed two loads in a Tom and got some gold. Very coarse and honeycombed. We got out machines of wash. Got it puddled and got some nuggets. 5 oz. And some 4 oz. If this wash lasted it would pay. We took out another machine but it was not payable. The good looking wash ran out. About this time there was a mining speculator came from Sydney. We showed him over the old reef on Woods Flat and offered to sink on Kirkman’s old reef if we got backers for four of us at £1.5.0. per week. He went to Carcoar and got T Fitzpatrick and his brother James, Hillier, and B Stimson[2] to back four of us – P Fitzgibbon, Patsy O’Brien, Alf Chambers and I sank a shaft 40ft to catch the underlay. James O’Shaughnessy working in Cowra Mill now (April 1872) for Patrick Walsh.
1 May 1872 Sergeant Sutherland[3] of Cowra Police was shot on Binni Creek[4]. He tried to arrest two men at Dan Horan’s place. It appears one of those two men shot him. There were only two women in the hut at the time. The police could never find the men or man who was there when the shot was fired.
17 Jul 1872 James O’Shaughnessy at the Mill.
22 Aug 1872 P. Fitzgibbon, Alf Chambers and I took out a mineral selection of 40 acres on the Waugoola Road. Alf Chambers and I started in to Cowra. We stopped at Alford’s and showed him a sample of copper ore. He agreed to pay for the mineral selection if we gave him half the mine. He gave us a letter to Peter Murray, managing his store in Cowra to pay us when the Land Office opened. To our surprise James Ousby was there to take up the same piece of land so we had to ballot for it. P. Murray, Alf Chambers and I put in an application each. P. Murray won it and Ousby was in a great rage for the three of us going in against him.
7 Sep 1872 We took up a copper Lease of 40 acres, and a 20 acre Lease on the back of it on the road from Woods Flat to Grants Corner, P. O’Briens place. P. Murray paid for it in Toohey’s name. About this time our backers on the reef failed to back us any longer so we gave it up after following the underlay down 160 feet in some places. Going down the reef was only one inch in thickness. When we left off work the reef was 3 feet thick and soft walls.
Oct 1872 We took up a mineral Lease of 80 acres and one of 40 acres at the back of it on the north bank of Waugoola Creek, and two 40 acre Leases on the opposite bank. Alford paid for those Leases and took one half of the mine. Alf Chambers and I sunk a shaft in the Waugoola road mineral selection. We got down about ten feet when it got too hard. We prospected about Woods Flat up to the end of December 1872.
Dec 1872 I left Woods Flat for good.
9 Jan 1873 James O’Shaughnessy and I working in the Cowra Mill for Alford. P Fitzgibbon stayed on Woods Flat diggings.
Feb 1873 We were working at the Mill.
29 Mar 1873 At the Mill and worked about Cowra until August 1873.
8 Aug 1873 My tender for some roadwork on the Grenfell side of the river was accepted. I had to form metal drain and put in a third clas culvert. I got gravel for metal at the old gravel quarry about a mile up the river.
Sep 1873 I got one mile of clearing and drain and filling ruts and one third class culvert. The Contract commenced between the Hospital and Grenfell on towards Cowra. I finished in January 1874 and came home to Cowra.
Feb 1874 James O’Shaughnessy working in P Murray’s store.
16 Mar 1874 Mr Bill (Bell?), the Road Superintendent, and I went to Carcoar to show me where I had to put 300 cubic yards of maintenance metal. We came back next day.
17 Mar 1874 St Patrick’s day. We came by Woods Flat. There were races there. We stayed there a short time and then I came on to Cowra. The next day I started with two horses and two carts. Black harry driving one cart. Camped at Limestone Creek. The next day Carcoar. We camped on Cowra side of Carcoar at the foot of the hill. I had to put two-yard heaps from the Carcoar Bridge to Beardmore’s Bridge towards Cowra. Metal hard to be got. All granite and hard to be broken. I had to break stone for about ten days to encourage the other breakers. I had Tom Peters and Clarihne?. Tom Peters jarred his hand and had to go home to Cowra. When Harry Williams had all the stone on the road, we started to Limestone Creek. I left Clearitree? and his mate to finish the breaking at Carcoar. Camped at Fagan’s stables. Jack, the Pig Man and I quarried, and harry carted in heaps to be broken. We shifted to within a mile of S G Alfords. I wrote Claritree to come on to Limestone Creek and break when he finished at Carcoar. I got Tom Peters from Cowra to assist us at Alford’s.
May 1874 About the end of may 1874, we had all the maintenance metal finished. In this month, I received a notice from the Commissioner of Roads that my tenders for six contracts on the Grenfell Road had been accepted – one at the west side of the Lachlan at Cowra; one at the three mile tree near Chivers; one at the ten mile tree, Broula; one at the 32 mile tree; one at the 33 mile tree; and one in Camp Street, Grenfell. I let the quarrying and carting at the three mile tree to billy Robinson of Cowra; and at the ten mile tree, I let the forming, drain, culvert, quarrying and breaking to Kinneary and party.
2 June 1874. Black Harry and I started with two horses and two carts to the 10 mile tree near Broula Hill. Camped near Kinnneary’s camp.
3 Jun 1874 Carting stone all day.
4 Jun 1874 Carting stone all day.
5 Jun 1874 The yellow draught horse of Tom Walsh broke his leg during the night. We had to kill him. I sent word to Tom Walsh. He borrowed a horse from Thomas West.
6 Jun 1874 Carting all day.
7 Jun 1874 Sunday.
8 Jun 1874 Carting all day. Harry made a stable for West’s horse.
9 Jun 1874 Carting stone all day.
10 Jun 1874 Carting stone all day.
11 Jun 1874 Carting stone all day.
12 Jun 1874 Carting all day. Borrowed a Tip Cart from Middlemiss.
13 Jun 1874 Carting stone until late in the evening. I started to Cowra.
14 Jun 1874 Cowra. All day.
15 Jun 1874 Carting stone. Tom Peters driving one cart.
16 Jun 1874 Carting stone.
17 Jun 1874 Carting stone.
18 Jun 1874 Carting stone.
19 Jun 1874 Carting stone.
20 Jun 1874 Raining all day.
21 Jun 1874 Sunday. Started to Cowra with the carts. Ground too soft. Raining.
22 Jun 1874 raining all day. Paid Tom Peters seven pounds. Paid harry Williams three pounds nine shillings.
23 Jun 1874 Started to Grenfell on horseback. Stayed at Miss fahey’s, The Albion. Expenses one pound. Got a pay cheque for 28 pounds.
24 Jun 1874 Came from Grenfell to Cowra.
25 Jun 1874 At home all day. I sent in tenders for work on the Grenfell Road. I sent by Joe Poole 14 shillings to Darby Smith, Carcoar.
26 Jun 1874 Drove Mr and Mrs Bell out to the three mile tree. Raining all day.
27 Jun 1874 Raining all day.
28 Jun 1874 Sunday. I rode out to the three mile tree. Robinson carting stone.
29 Jun 1874 Little rain all day.
30 Jun 1874 Jerry O’Sullivan forming at the end of the gravel. The carts started drawing gravel. Tom Peters and I getting it.
1 Jul 1874 raining all day. No work.
2 Jul 1874 Tom Peters and I getting gravel. Harry carted six loads.
3 Jul 1874 Peters and I getting gravel. Harry carted six loads.
4 Jul 1874 Rained all day. Coota Creek very high.
5 Jul 1874 Sunday. Coota Creek not crossable. No mails from Carcoar. The Lachlan rose very fast until 12 o’clock tonight.
6 Jul 1874 Showers all day. I fixed the Chapel gate.
7 Jul 1874 Fine day. Harry paid up to this date.
8 Jul 1874 Carting gravel. Four loads each.
9 Jul 1874 Rained up to 12 o’clock. Peters and I getting gravel. No carting. I got the Grenfell contracts.
10 Jul 1874 I got jack Watson and Alick Middlemiss to sign bonds as my sureties for the Grenfell road contracts. Harry carting.
11 Jul 1874 I took Mr Bell, the road Superintendent, out to the three mile tree. He passed the forming. Harry carting. Peters getting it.
12 Jul 1874 Sunday. Paid Kinneary and party fifteen pounds on account of work done at the ten mile tree contract. Fine day.
13 Jul 1874 Fred Chivers commenced to cart, and Harry and I with a cart each, carted seven loads each. Mr Bell inspected the gravel.
14 Jul 1874 Carting all day.
15 Jul 1874 I rode up to Grenfell. I pegged out the work at the 32 mile tree. I stayed at Miss Fahey’s “The Albion”.
16 Jul 1874 I pegged out the work at the 33 mile tree and the work in Camp street. James Green agreed agreed to put up a culvert at the 32 mile tree. I started for Cowra at one o’clock.
17 Jul 1874 Carting gravel all day.
18 Jul 1874 Tom Walsh driving one cart. I was squaring gravel on the road.
19 Jul 1874 Sunday. Mass at the Chapel. I went out to three mile tree. Alick Clearahane agreed to cut a drain at 6/6 per chain.
20 Jul 1874 Carting gravel all day.
21 Jul 1874 Carting gravel all day.
22 Jul 1874 Carting gravel all day.
23 Jul 1874 Carting gravel all day.
24 Jul 1874 Chivers carted two loads and Harry carted two loads. Harry then started to the ten mile tree with two horses and cart. Tom Peters and I squaring up gravel on forming for measurement.
25 Jul 1874 Raining all day. Mr Bell came from Carcoar.
26 Jul 1874 Sunday. Weather clearing. Frosts.
27 Jul 1874 Mr Bell measured the gravel. Tom Peters and I spread it. Harry came from the ten mile tree. Got a pay cheque – 29 pounds.
28 Jul 1874 Peters and I spreading. Harry carted five loads of maintenance metal. Paid Mr Chivers £4.4.6 for carting.
29 Jul 1874 Spreading gravel all day. Harry carted six loads of gravel.
30 Jul 1874 The two carts put on 20 loads of maintenance gravel. A concert tonight in aid of the Catholic Church. And Ball. 300 people present. A great success.
31 Jul 1874 Raining all night. A Concert and Ball tonight. Not many present.
1 Aug 1874 Coota Creek not crossable. Carcoar mail not in. Mr Bell went to the ten mile tree contract. The river rose to a banker.
2 Aug 1874 Sunday. A meeting at the chapel of those who made a guarantee to Miss Martin, Catholic school teacher. She was short £8.8.0 of her salary.
3 Aug 1874 Carted ten loads of gravel, making in all 33 loads of maintenance gravel. Got a pay cheque for £31.5.6. A fine day.
4 Aug 1874 Finished carting gravel. Fine day.
5 Aug 1874 I went to the three mile tree contract. Two stone breakers agreed to erect a third class culvert for ten pounds. Paid P Murray ten pounds.
6 Aug 1874 Started for Grenfell with two carts. I drove one and Tom Peters drove the other. Alick Clarihane came with us. Camped at the ten mile tree.
7 Aug 1874 We camped at the 32 mile tree near Grenfell. We put up our tents. James Green commenced the culvert.
8 Aug 1874 getting ready for work. Fine day.
9 Aug 1874 Sunday. Went into Grenfell after dinner.
10 Aug 1874 Tom Peters and Alick Clarehane agreed to form and drain at 17/- per chain. I hired Joe Marks to drive two horses and cart. We commenced to cart quartz from the two mile (tree).
11 Aug 1874 Carted until 12 o’clock. Rained all the evening. No work.
12 Aug 1874 Carting. Ground getting soft.
13 Aug 1874 Carting all day.
14 Aug 1874 Carting all day.
15 Aug 1874 Carting all day. Paid Joe Marks one pound.
16 Aug 1874 Sunday. Walked into Grenfell.
17 Aug 1874 Commenced to rain in the morning and rained all day.
18 Aug 1874 Carting stone all day.
19 Aug 1874 Carting stone all day.
20 Aug 1874 Carting stone all day.
21 Aug 1874 Carting. Tom Walsh came. Met t Walsh in Grenfell in the night.
22 Aug 1874 Tom Peters drove my cart up to 12 0′ clock. Tom Walsh started for Cowra. So did Tom Peters.
23 Aug 1874 Sunday. Fine day.
24 Aug 1874 Rained all day. No work. Hired a man to drive my horse and cart.
25 Aug 1874 Carting all day. I assisted to load.
26 Aug 1874 Carting. Tom Peters came from Cowra.
27 Aug 1874 Carting. A letter from Mr Bell. Pay cheque. Thirty four pounds.
28 Aug 1874 Carting all day.
29 Aug 1874 Carting all day.
30 Aug 1874 Sunday. Cold, windy day.
31 Aug 1874 Roads getting dry. No work.
1 Sep 1874 Carting stone all day.
2 Sep 1874 Carting stone.
3 Sep 1874 Carting stone.
4 Sep 1874 Carting stone.
5 Sep 1874 Carting stone.
6 Sep 1874 Sunday. Cold morning. Rain in the evening.
7 Sep 1874 Carting all day.
8 Sep 1874 Carting stone.
9 Sep 1874 Carting stone.
10 Sep 1874 Carting stone.
11 Sep 1874 Got the horses shod. No work.
12 Sep 1874 Carting. Rained in the evening.
13 Sep 1874 Sunday. Went out to meet a load of potatoes.
14 Sep 1874 One cart at work. I went to Grenfell and sold a load of potatoes for P Murray, Cowra. Mr Bell came fromm Cowra.
15 Sep 1874 Mr Bell came out to the work and passed the metal and the culvert. I carted after dinner.
16 Sep 1874. Carting stone. Joe Marks ran the cart against a tree and capsized the cart – broke the shafters forelegs up near the shoulder and I had to have him shot. This was the horse we borrowed from Tom West. He was worth 30 pounds.
17 Sep 1874 Carting stone.
18 Sep 1874 Captain, the horse griped all night. Not able to work.
19 Sep 1874 One cart working.
20 Sep 1874 Sunday. Tom Walsh came.
21 Sep 1874 Raining all day. Pegged out the forming at the 33 mile tree.
22 Sep 1874 Raining. No work.
23 Sep 1874 Carting.to 12 o’clock. Great rain for two hours. Too wet to work.
24 Sep 1874 Working one cart
25 Sep 1874 Working one cart.
26 Sep 1874 Only one cart. Working one cart.
27 Sep 1874 Sunday. Fine day.
28 Sep 1874 Raining all day.
29 Sep 1874 Carting stone all day.
30 Sep 1874 Carting all day.
1 Oct 1874 Carting stone all day.
2 Oct 1874 Carting stone all day.
3 Oct 1874 Raining all day. Carted one load.
4 Oct 1874 Sunday. Raining all day. The roads very boggy.
5 Oct 1874 Raining all day. I could not start to Cowra.
6 Oct 1874 Joe Marks and I started for Broula Hill with the two carts. We camped at the ten mile tree contract. I went to Cowra by coach.
7 Oct 1874 Stayed in Cowra all day.
8 Oct 1874 Came out with Tom Walsh in a buggy and brought a man with us, and put him on to spread metal.
9 Oct 1874 Carting broken metal from the quarry.
10 Oct 1874 Carted until 12 o’clock.
11 Oct 1874 Sunday. I went in the coach to Grenfell.
12 Oct 1874 Stayed in Grenfell all day. The little man commenced work.
13 Oct 1874 I took up four 2-acre blocks on the Cowra Road in sight of Grenfell. I came in the coach to Cowra.
14 Oct 1874 I came out to the ten mile tree. Jack O’Brien commenced work.
15 Oct 1874 Finished carting at 12 o’clock. Commenced to Blind.
16 Oct 1874 Carting. Blinding all day.
17 Oct 1874 Finished blinding. Paid O’Brien and Ned. I took a horse and cart to Cowra.
18 Oct 1874 Stayed in Cowra all day.
19 Oct 1874 I went to the ten mile tree, loaded up and went to Wilson’s public house near Bumbaldry and camped all night.
20 Oct 1874 Came to Grenfell. I bought a hut to live in at the Prissian?.
21 Oct 1874 Repairing the carts all day. Weather clearing.
22 Oct 1874 Carting stone from the Consols, O’Brien’s reef.
23 Oct 1874 Carting stone all day.
24 Oct 1874 Carting stone from the Consols up to 12 o’clock after carting stone from a quarry near the forming.
25 Oct 1874 Sunday. A hot day.
26 Oct 1874 Carting stone from the Consols.
27 Oct 1874 Carting stone.
28 Oct 1874 Carting stone up to 12 o’clock. Rained all evening.
29 Oct 1874 Carting stone all day.
30 Oct 1874 Carting stone. Mr Bell and his son Tom came.
31 Oct 1874 Mr Bell measured all the stone at the 32 mile tree. They then went in the coach to Cowra. Raining all the evening.
1 Nov 1874 Sunday. Fine day.
2 Nov 1874 Commenced to spread the metal at the 32 mile tree.
3 Nov 1874 Carting stone all day.
4 Nov 1874 Carting stone all day.
5 Nov 1874 Carting stone all day.
6 Nov 1874 Carting stone all day.
7 Nov 1874 I met P Walsh, Bridget and Margaret in Grenfell.
8 Nov 1874 Sunday.
9 Nov 1874 Carting stone.
10 Nov 1874 Carting stone.
11 Nov 1874 Carting stone to Camp Street. Commenced to rain at 12 o’clock. We had to stop work.
12 Nov 1874 Not working.
13 Nov 1874 Carting stone. Great storm of wind in the evening.
14 Nov 1874 Carting, blinding at the 32 mile tree.
15 Nov 1874 Sunday. Very hot day.
16 Nov 1874 Carting stone.
17 Nov 1874 Carting stone.
18 Nov 1874 Carting stone until 12 o’clock.Drawing logs in evening and stone for two stone crossings at the 33 mile tree.
19 Nov 1874 Carting stone all day.
20 Nov 1874 Carting stone.
21 Nov 1874 Carting stone.
22 Nov 1874 Carting stone.
23 Nov 1874 Carting stone.
24 Nov 1874 Carting stone to a chain of forming at a culvert near Hospital Hill.
25 Nov 1874 Finished carting to the culvert.
26 Nov 1874 Carting.
27 Nov 1874 Carting stone from the Lucknow Reef.
28 Nov 1874 Joe Marks and young Walsh working.
29 Nov 1874 Carting stone from the Lucknow Reef
30 Nov 1874 Carting stone.
1 Dec 1874 Took one of the carts to Purss the Wheelwright to repair.
2 Dec 1874 Carting stone.
3 Dec 1874 Carting stone up to 11 o’clock when some of the spokes broke in one of the cart wheels. I had to take it to the Wheelwright’s.
4 Dec 1874 No carts working.
5 Dec 1874 Carting stone. Real hot day.
6 Dec 1874 Sunday.
7 Dec 1874 Carting
8/23 Dec 74 Carting stone, very scarce. Carting to Camp Street. One and a half a yard to the lineal yard.
[It is of interest to note that there is no reference to the death in Crystal Brook, South Australia, of his father, Thomas O’Shaughnessy, on 5 December 1874.]
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- Mary Neville (1847-1885) was the daughter of Bridget (Walsh) Neville, later Challacombe. William Ryan (1840-1899) was the son of Michael and Sarah Ryan of ‘Ryansvale’ near Goulburn. Her death (by drowning) was registered in Goulburn.↵
- Bernard Stimson became the first Mayor of Carcoar in 1879.↵
- Frank Clune, in his book “Rolling Down the Lachlan’ says he visited Sutherland’s grave in Young in 1934. He records the Sutherland was returning from Bathurst and, by chance, met two thieves on horseback; as he dismounted to question them, he was shot in the back. The murderers escaped and were never caught. Clune said a centenary issue of the Boorowa News states that a man in North Queensland, in 1930, on his deathbed confessed to the shooting.”↵
- Gold was discovered here, about 15 km north of Cowra, in 1890.↵