1890
1 Jan 1890 New Year’s Day. Cowra beat Young in a cricket match. This was the only sports.
2 Jan 1890 At home. 110 in the shade.
3 Jan 1890 I rode out to the camp at Broula. Hot day.
4 Jan 1890 I walked around the mountain at the back of D Hood’s. Could not get a shot at a kangaroo. Great heat. A wind storm in the evening. A little rain. D Perry called.
5 Jan 1890 Sunday. Jack Stone brought out a horse and cart and took his tent away to Cowra. I shot a brush wallaby up the gorge.
6 Jan 1890 Cutting pines and taking off two sides with the broad axe to 3 inches in thickness. I went up the gorge but could not see any kangaroos. Cloudy day.
7 Jan 1890 Cut two wall plates. I walked down to D Hood’s. he promised to lend me a horse and cart next Thursday. Cut down three more pines ready for squaring. A son of James Hennessy drowned in a small dam near the house. He was about six years of age.
8 Jan 1890 I cut three wall plates. Hennessy’s son buried in Cowra today. I went out to shoot a kangaroo to make some soup. I had no luck. Very hot day.
9 Jan 1890 I went to D Hood’s and borrowed his horse and cart and carted 12 wall plates to another heap I had near the Grenfell roed. An old swagman stole my water bag and six eggs. Hot day.
10 Jan 1890 I rode in to Cowra. Mary O’Shaughnessy gone to Bathurst. Cloudy day.
11 Jan 1890 Heavy shower at 12 o’clock. I saw George Woods. He is keeping a public house at Mt Costigan near Tuena.
12 Jan 1890 Sunday. I rode out to Broula. Cloudy day.
13 Jan 1890 At the camp all day. Mary O’Shaughnessy came to Cowra from Bathurst today.
14 Jan 1890 At the camp. Billy Gray came from Cowra.
15 Jan 1890 I went to the flat rock at the back of D Hood’s and shot some rock wallabies.
16 Jan 1890 Gray and I rode along under the mountain past Farrar’s and around to Cherry’s Creek to where Cotton’s fence crosses it and from there along the road to the camp.
17 Jan 1890 Gray and I out to the flat rock at the back of D Hood’s. Shooting wallabies. Shot a large carpet snake at the surveyor’s rock.
18 Jan 1890 Gray and I rode in to Cowra.
19 Jan 1890 Sunday. At home. Hot day.
20 Jan 1890 Gray and I came out to Broula. A Miss Breen married to a man named Ryan. Paid McLeod £2.0.0.
21 Jan 1890 Shot a small wallaroo under Dribbendrew. Hot day.
22 Jan 1890 I wentb out after dinner to shoot kangaroos. No luck. Hot day.
23 Jan 1890 Gray and I went to D Hood’s to assist at the stripper. A (one leg??) of Frank Smith’s died. I am at the camp all day.
24 Jan 1890 After dinner, Gray and I went up the gorge to shoot a kangaroo. No luck. Real hot day.
25 Jan 1890 Gray and I rode in to Cowra. D Donnelly not gone to Sydney according to promise.
26 Jan 1890 Anniversary of the Colony. 102 years. At home . Hot day.
27 Jan 1890 At home. A pidgeon match. A lot from Bathurst and Young. Prize £50.
28 Jan 1890 Gray and I came out to the camp at Broula.
29 Jan 1890 Gray commenced to cut a trench on their lease. I was at the camp all day.
30 Jan 1890 Not doing anything
31 Jan 1890. At the camp. East wind with few drops of rain.
1 Feb 1890 Gray and I rode in to Cowra.
2 Feb 1890 Sunday. Raining all day. Coming from the east.
3 Feb 1890 Started at half past 7 o’clock. Got to the camp at at Broula at 19 o’clock. Gray came at 11 o’clock.
4 Feb 1890 I shot three kangaroos at the back of Dribbendrew.
5 Feb 1890 I shot two large kangaroos. Hot day.
6 Feb 1890 Assisting Gray to cut trench on his silver lease.
7 Feb 1890 Gray started with scalps, and a native dog of mine to Prings. I went with him to Sutton’s waterfall. I then came back to the camp.
8 Feb 1890 Gray and I rode in to Cowra. Dr Smith, Robert Daly and james Smith from Murray’s store elected Aldermen. Hot sultry day.
9 Feb 1890 Sunday. I rode out to the camp at Broula. There came a great storm at 4 o’clock. The ground was covered with water. It lasted one hour.
10 Feb 1890 Gray came from Cowra at 10 o’clock. I walked out to the west side of Dribbendrew and shot two kangaroos. One got away.
11 Feb 1890 After dinner, I walked out past the native dog hill to the back of Hood’s mine. Had one shot at a kangaroo but did not get him. Cloudy all day with thunder and rain after dark.
12 Feb 1890 Raining all day.
13 Feb 1890 I walked out to the back of Dribbendrew. I fired at two kangaroos and only got one. Great storm at 4 o’clock.
14 Feb 1890 I went out to the back of Dribbendrew. I saw a native dog. I found the kangaroo that I fired at the day before, dead. Fine day. All the creeks running.
15 Feb 1890 Commenced to rain at 4 o’clock this morning and continued all day. Gray and I got our horses. Gray went to Cowra. I would not go. Raining heavily.
16 Feb 1890 Sunday. I rode out to Joe Hope’s selection and back. While I was away, D Donnelly drove out an expert. Gray came out with them. They had a look at the mines and drove back to Cowra.
17 Feb 1890 I rode in to Cowra. D Donnelly, W Boxall, John Connelly and I had a meeting in Poole’s parlour. Boxall, Connelly and I agreed to take £50 a piece for our interests in two 20 acre mineral leases at Broula. We all agreed to sink a shaft on the marble quarry at Broula. We have got 10/- per foot from the Government. The shareholders make it up to 20/- per foot.
18 Feb 1890 I rode out to the camp at Broula.
19 Feb 1890 I commenced to put up a forge near where I am going to sink on the marble. Harold Hurst came out to South Broula.
20 Feb 1890 Raining most all day. Gray and I put a shot in the marble. It shows very well.
21 Feb 1890 Hare drive between here and Chivers. I brought some marble to the camp and started to crush some in a mortar. Great shower at 1 o’clock. Gray went to a dance at James Anderson’s.
22 Feb 1890 Gray and I rode in to Cowra. Raining all night.
23 Feb 1890 Sunday. Great shower at 12 o’clock. I got to the camp at 4 o’clock. Light rain.
24 Feb 1890 Crushing marble all day.
25 Feb 1890 Finished crushing marble.
26 Feb 1890 I went in the evening up the gorge to get a shot at a kangaroo. No luck.
27 Feb 1890 I assisted Gray to put in a shot on a lode he struck in a drain on South broula. Sultry day.
28 Feb 1890 At the camp all day. Sent about 150 lbs of marble dust to MR D Donnelly, Cowra. Thunder storm at 4 o’clock.
1 Mar 1890 Gray and I rode in to Cowra. I saw Mr Donnelly. He says that I have to crush 25 lbs white marble. Great thunderstorm between Chivers and Cowra.
2 Mar 1890 Sunday. I got tot Broula at 12 o’clock. I walked up the gorge. A great thunderstorm came. It filled all the creek in about half an hour. I had some trouble to get to the camp. I never got so wet before.
3 Mar 1890 Raining all night and this morning. Gray came from Cowra at 12 o’clock. I got some white marble and commenced to crush 25 lbs.
4 Mar 1890 I finished crushing marble at 4 o’clock. I assisted Gray to put up a windlass. A good shower at 12 o’clock.
5 Mar 1890 Raining most all day. Gray and I fixed up a windlass on North broula where I struck the lode in the trench near the old copper shaft. Gray agreed to work for me half a day on North Broula and the other half day I agreed to work for him on South Broula.
6 Mar 1890 Gray and I working half day each.
7 Mar 1890 Working half day each.
8 Mar 1890 Worked half day for Gray. We rode in to Cowra. Some Members up from Sydney to inspect railway route between Cowra and Forbes, and site for a new bridge across the Lachlan at Cowra near the present bridge.
9 Mar 1890 Sunday. I rode out to Broula at 9 o’clock. D Donnelly drove out a Member of Council and Mr Stacy drove out another Member, and H Ford drove out the manager og the Government boring machine working on the site of the new bridge across the Lachlan at Cowra. They inspected the silver, copper, gold and marble mines. Light showers of rain.
10 Mar 1890 Gray and I started a new shaft on North Broula marble. Worked half day each side. We bought a fat sheep from David Hood.
11 Mar 1890 Raining all day.
12 Mar 1890 Working half day on each lease.
13 Mar 1890 Gray and I working all day.
14 Mar 1890 Working all day.
15 Mar 1890 Gray and I rode in to Cowra. Races at Chivers, Back Creek. We saw one race.
16 Mar 1890 Sunday. I got to the camp in the evening. Went out and shot a kangaroo.
17 Mar 1890 St Patrick’s day. I was working all day putting up a windlass. Hibernian sports at Cowra.
18 Mar 1890 Gray came from Cowra. Working all day.
19 Mar 1890 Working all day.
20 Mar 1890 Gray and I working half day on each claim.
21 Mar 1890 Working all day.
22 Mar 1890 Gray and I rode in to Cowra.
23 Mar 1890 Sunday. I rode out to the camp. W Gray came in the evening.
24 Mar 1890 Raining most all day.
25 Mar 1890 Rained a little this morning. Working all day.
26 Mar 1890 Working all day.
27 Mar 1890 Gray and I working at D Hood’s. Sloan’s thrashing machine working there. I was sewing bags. Gray on the stack.
28 Mar 1890 Gray and I working at the thrashing machine all day.
29 Mar 1890 Gray and I working on the South Broula mine up to 12 o’clock. We got our horses and rode in to Cowra. I gave D Donnelly my bill £6.15.0
30 Mar 1890 Sunday. After 12 o’clock Gray and I rode out to the camp. Cloudy day.
31 Mar 1890 Raining all night and up to 12 o’clock. We worked all the evening on South Broula.
1 Apr 1890 Working all day.
2 Apr 1890 Gray and I working all day.
3 Apr 1890 Working all day.
4 Apr 1890 Good Friday. Worked up to 12 o’clock. John Connelly drove out an expert from Lewis Ponds[1]. We showed him all the mines. His name is James O’Shea. He went back to Cowra with John Connelly.
5 Apr 1890 Gray and I rode in to Cowra. We finished the marble shaft. 16 feet.
6 Apr 1890 Easter Sunday. At home all day.
7 Apr 1890 Easter Monday. Caledonian Sports on the Showground. Bagpipes. The players dressed in character. Two small boys and two girls. They played and danced all day. Foot racing and other sports. About 1,200 people on the Ground. Fine day.
8 Apr 1890 Gray and I rode outt to the camp by 12 o’clock and worked on South Broula all evening.
9 Apr 1890 Raining most all night and this morning. Gray and I put up a windlass on a new shaft on a copper lode on North Broula, after working on South.
10 Apr 1890 Working at the leases.
11 Apr 1890 Gray and I working all day. John Connelly and O’Shea came at tea time to give us notice that there will be a meeting in Cowra on next Saturday. O’Shea wants us to amalgamate and then he and his firm at Lewis Ponds would prospect the leases if we would give them one half the property.
12 Apr 1890 Gray and I rode in to c. had a meeting of shareholders at Boxall’s Club House Hotel. D Donnelly would not consent to amalgamate. Cold evening.
13 Apr 1890 Sunday. At 11 o’clock I started to Broula. I got there at 1 o’clock and shot two kangaroos on Dribbendrew.
14 Apr 1890 Gray came at 12 o’clock. We worked all the evening on the south leases. Fine weather.
15 Apr 1890 Gray and I working half day each on north and south leases, Broula.
16 Apr 1890 Gray and I working all day. Cold nights, warm days.
17 Apr 1890 Gray and I working all day
18 Apr 1890 Gray and I working.
19 Apr 1890 Gray and I went in to D Hood’s paddock and found George Henderson’s horse he had lost, and got the coachman to take him up to Grenfell.I went out to the back of Dribbendrew to get a shot at a kangaroo. No luck.
20 Apr 1890 Sunday. I walked along W R Watt’s fence to the back of Norman’s Mount and back to the camp. I never got a shot. Cloudy day.
21 Apr 1890 Adam McNab came out to the camp for his mare and took her to Cowra. At 3 o’clock I started to Cowra. I met Gray at the Back Creek School. Got to Cowra at 5 o’clock.
22 Apr 1890 I rode out to the races at Scalded Plain. Good fields of horse but not many people. R Chivers got the booth. P Hough got the gates for £48. Circus in Cowra.
23 Apr 1890 At the races. More people there today. Good racing.
24 Apr 1890 Gray and I got to the camp at Broula about 12 o’clock. I walked up the gorge in the evening, kangaroo shooting. No luck.
25 Apr 1890 Grey and I quarried 2 tons of magnetic iron ore on North Broula to be sent to the Crystal Palace Exhibition, London. In the evening working in the copper shaft – North Broula. Cloudy day.
26 Apr 1890 Gray and I worked up to 12 o’clock. Gray rode to Cowra.
27 Apr 1890 Sunday. I bagged all the iron ore. Gray came.
28 Apr 1890 Gray and I worked up to 12 o’clock on South Broula. After dinner we worked on North broula. Adam McNab came to work on South Broula. Gray would not work with him. He came to work with me at £2.5.0 per week.
29 Apr 1890 Gray and I working on North Broula all day.
30 Apr 1890 Working all day.
1 May 1890 Gray and I working on North Broula all day.
2 May 1890 Working all day. Dwyer, who bought Cotton’s place, took possession. We got free gold in the copper rubble.
3 May 1890 Gray and I rode in to Cowra. Arranged with Gray to come as a partner with me to sink at 17/6 per foot.
4 May 1890 Sunday. I rode out to the camp by 12 o’clock. Mr and Mrs Donnelly and another lady drove out, and John Connelly and another gentleman came in a trap. They had a good look over North Broula mine.
5 May 1890 Gray and I put a roller in the shaft and put up a new forge. McNab came from Cowra.
6 May 1890 Gray and I working all day. I got 25 lbs flour by coach and a letter from John Connelly to send him in some rubble out of our shaft to send to Lewis Ponds to be assayed.
7 May 1890 Gray and I working all day. I sent a parcel of wash to by coach to John Connelly, Cowra.
8 May 1890 Gray and I working all day. Dwyer’s sheep still trespassing.
9 May 1890 Working all day. Very dry weather.
10 May 1890 We worked up to 12 o’clock and then rode in to Cowra. Mr Walker, grocer at D Donnelly’s store died at Walsh’s Hotel at 12 o’clock today. P Murray went on board the Carthage, Mail Boat at Melbourne today, bound for Scotland.
11 May 1890 Sunday. walker buried today. Got to camp at 4 o’clock.
12 May 1890 Gray and I sinking all day in the copper shaft, North Broula.
13 May 1890 Gray and I working all day.
14 May 1890 Working all day.
15 May 1890 Gray and I working.
16 May 1890 Gray and I working all day. Our lode about 2 feet wide. Some grand copper ore in the lode stuff. Free gold in every dish.
17 May 1890 Raining up to 12 o’clock. We waited until 2 o’clock for the Prospecting Board, but they did not come. We got to Cowra at 4 o’clock.
18 May 1890 Sunday. I started out to Broula at 8 o’clock. The Prospecting Board came. Harrie Wood, Under Secretary for Mines, and W H James Slee, Government Chief Inspector of Mines and Superintendent of Diamond Drills and D Donnelly and Mr T Phillips, Solicitor. They inspectedthe mines. They drove back to Cowra again. The weather clearing. I shot two wallabies on Dribbendrew.
19 May 1890 Gray could not work today. I sent some mineral specimens by coach to John Connolly, Cowra from North Broula, to be sent to Sydney for assay.
20 May 1890 Gray and I working all day in the copper shaft, North Broula.
21 May 1890 Gray and I working all day.
22 May 1890 Gray and I working all day. A small stone came down the shaft and struck me on the head and cut it. The blood (ran) out a stream.
23 May 1890 Light rain up to 12 o’clock. Heavy rain from then until 6 o’clock. McNab went to Cowra. Dance at Slessor’s tonight.
24 May 1890 Queen’s Birthday. Gray and I got our horses and got to Cowra at 12 o’clock. The assay we sent to Roberst nearly went one ounce per ton.
25 May 1890 Sunday. James O’Shaughnessy got P Murray’s horse and spring cart and two breech loaders and drove out to my camp at 10 o’clock. I rode out. We had dinner and drove out to the flat rock mountain at the back of D Hood’s. and shot 5 rock wallabies. Came back to the camp at dark. James O’Shaughnessy stayed all night.
26 May 1890 We got up early and got breakfast. Gray came from Cowra. He came out with us. Poor luck. Only shot 7 wallabies. Got back to camp at 3 o’clock. James went to Cowra.
27 May 1890 Raining most all night and all day. Gray and I cut a trough to tan wallaby skins in. Thunder from the west.
28 May 1890 Gray and I working on North Broula all day.
29 May 1890 Working all day.
30 May 1890 Gray and I working on all day.
31 May 1890 I started to Cowra at 9 o’clock. Hosie from Goolagong was to meet me there. He did not come. All over 50 feet in the shaft we are sinking. We are to get 16/- per foot.
1 Jun 1890 Sunday. I got to the camp at 10 o’clock. Cloudy day.
2 Jun 1890 Raining all day. No work.
3 Jun 1890 Gray and I working in the copper shaft, North Broula.
4 Jun 1890 Gray and I working all day in the copper shaft, North Broula.
5 Jun 1890 Working all day. Light showers in the evening.
6 Jun 1890 Gray and I working all day in the copper shaft, North Broula.
7 Jun 1890 Gray and I rode in to Cowra. Great rain this morning. Hosie did not come according to promise.
8 Jun 1890 Sunday. I got to the camp at 12 o’clock and went over to Dribbendrew and shot a young wallaroo.
9 Jun 1890 Gray and I working in the copper shaft.
10 Jun 1890 Working on North Broula.
11 Jun 1890 Working all day.
12 Jun 1890 Gray and I working in the copper shaft. We put in two sets of timber.
13 Jun 1890 Gray and I working all day.
14 Jun 1890 Gray, May and I rode in to Cowra. The youngest son of D Donnelly died. I got a letter from Robert King, Goolagong, to say that Hosie had sent a cheque to Garden, Solicitor, Cowra, for allotments.
15 Jun 1890 Sunday. At home all day.
16 Jun 1890 I got 19 pounds from Garden and transferred the allotments to Hosie. I went to Phuillips, Solicitor, and paid him 6/8 to send a letter to Dwyer of Broula not to let his sheep trespass on out mineral lease. Came out to camp in the evening.
17 Jun 1890 Splitting timber to slab our shaft. Heavy rain in the evening.
18 Jun 1890 Gray and I finished slabbing shaft.
19 Jun 1890 Gray and I working in shaft all day.
20 Jun 1890 Working all day.
21 Jun 1890 Raining all night and all day. Gray and I rode in to Cowra. The roads covered with water. James Connelly and I went to D Donnelly. I presented my bill. He could not look over it until Monday. Heavy thunderstorm at 9 o’clock tonihght.
22 Jun 1890 Sunday. Gray and I started at 9 o’clock and came out to the camp. Everywhere covered with water. Raining all night.
23 Jun 1890 Gray and I put a fly over our shaft and put in a set of timber. Wind and rain all day. I have a bad cold.
24 Jun 1890 Gray and I working. Cold wind and sleet in the morning.
25 Jun 1890 We put in two sets of timber. Hanging wall very rotten. Raining most all day.
26 Jun 1890 Gray and I working. Weather clearing up a little.
27 Jun 1890 Working all day. The lode about 20 inches wide. Fine day.
28 Jun 1890 Gray, May and I rode in to Cowra. The roads wet and boggy. Grace O’Shaughnessy came home from Kearin’s, Murringo Flats. She is governess there.
29 Jun 1890 Sunday. Gray and May gone to the camp.
30 Jun 1890 We were to have a meeting this morning but D Donnelly put it off to 7 o’clock tonight. At 12 o’clock James Connelly said that he had to go away and would not be back before midnight. So there was no meeting.
1 Jul 1890 I went to D Donnelly’s this morning to have a meeting but he had gone to Koorawatha to meet some Railway Commissioners. He was too busy in the evening.
2 Jul 1890 I rode out to the camp. Fine day.
3 Jul 1890 I and Mr Dwyaer went round the mining reserve.
4 Jul 1890 After 12 o’clock, Gray and I walked to the flat rock at the back of D Hood’s. We shot 7 wallabies.
5 Jul 1890 Gray, May and I rode in to Cowra. John Connelly and I saw Mr D Donnelly but he had no time to have a meeting.
6 Jul 1890 Sunday. At home all day.
7 Jul 1890 D Donnelly, James Connelly and I had a meeting. Mr Donnelly brought in his bill for £13. James Connelly paid me £24.12.6. He owes me an old account £2.5.0. raining.
8 Jul 1890. Raining all night. Grace O’Shaughnessy went by train to Bendick Murrell. Mr Keirans was to meet her there with his buggy but could not come as all the creeks were flooded. She went to Young and back to Cowra by 2 o’clock train. Burrowa River a banker. A letter from the Under Secretary for Mines to drive from the 100ft. level.
9 Jul 1890 At home. River rising.
10 Jul 1890 River nearly a banker. Falling this evening.
11 Jul 1890 At home. Weather clearing.
12 Jul 1890 I paid W Gray £10.14.0, the full amount up to 50 feet.
13 Jul 1890 Sunday. I got my brown horse out of John Connolly’s paddock.
14 Jul 1890 I drove my brown horse out to the camp. Gray led my piebald horse out to the camp.
15 Jul 1890 The brown horse got out of D Hood’s paddock. I followed him to the Cowra bridge and got him on hobbles. Came back to the camp. I put the two horses in Mr Dwyer’s paddock. Gray and I split some cap pieces in the evening.
16 Jul 1890 Gray and I sinking in the copper shaft. We intend to sink the shaft 50 feet deeper. That will, make it 150 feet. The hanging wall very rotten. We have to timber.
17 Jul 1890 Working all day.
18 Jul 1890 Gray and I working all day.
19 Jul 1890 I drove in to Cowra. Cloudy day.
20 Jul 1890 Sunday. I droveout to the camp at Broula. Had a look at some wallaby skins in tan. W gray came to the camp in the night.
21 Jul 1890 Gray and I working at the shaft up to 12 o’clock. In the evening we could not work. Bad air.
22Jul 1890 Working all day. Cold showers.
23 Jul 1890 Working. George Wilson’s eldest daughter got married to John Hughes today at Bumbaldry. W Gray went there this evening to a dance. Cold showers.
24 Jul 1890 Gray and I working all day. Cold rain.
25 Jul 1890 Working all day.A few cold showers.
26 Jul 1890 Gray and I worked up to 10 o’clock. I drove in to Cowra. Gray rode in. I got a cheque from John Connelly for £17, a part of the Government aid on North Broula. I got a piece of cobalt from a mine at Carcoar, sent to me by George Boxall.
27 Jul 1890 Sunday. I drove out to the camp at Broula. I had a look at the wallaby skins in tan. I walked up the gorge and shot a young wallaroo.
28 Jul 1890 Gray and I working at the copper shaft. The lode clean off on a white soft granite. It appears to have a slip from the uphill side.
29 Jul 1890 Gray and I put in some sets of timber. The hanging wall very loose. Mr Crouch, Surveyor, came to report on a reserve for our horses.
30 Jul 1890 We put in a drive in the hanging wall. It shows as if the lode had made a slip downhill. Light rain.
31 Jul 1890 Raining all day. No work.
1 Aug 1890 raining most all day. No work.
2 Aug 1890 No work. I drove in to Cowra. Roads in frightful boggy state.
3 Aug 1890 Sunday. I came out to the camp by 1 o’clock. Fine.
4 Aug 1890 Gray and I working in the shaft. Cross driving. Fine.
5 Aug 1890 Gray and I finished. We sunk the underlay shaft 134 feet and the marble shaft 16 feet. 150 feet in all.
6 Aug 1890 I walked out to the head of Simpson’s gorge creek. I shot one brush wallaby.
7 Aug 1890 I walked out to Simpson’s gorge. I shot a large wallaroo. I put it in to tan. Fine day.
8 Aug 1890 Gray and I walked out to the head of Simpson’s gorge creek. I found two brush wallabies that I shot the day before. Gray shot one wallaby and found an emu nest with 9 eggs. Fine day.
9 Aug 1890 Raining all night and most all day. I drove to Cowra.
10 Aug 1890 Sunday. Stayed at home all day. Bill Walsh’s son, Tom, came and stayed all day. He brought in some sheep from Bogo Bogalong to be trucked to Sydney. Raining.
11 Aug 1890 I drove out to Broula. Cold morning. Tom Walsh passed going to Grenfell.
12 Aug 1890 At the camp. Light showers all day. A trotting match between Muir’s mare and Swindles’ horse was to come off today. too wet. They agreed to put it off until a fine day.
13 Aug 1890 Gray and I went to a Ball at the wallaroo, opening of a Hall there. Muir’s mare and Swindles’ horse trotted today, 10 miles on the Young road. The horse won easily. I shot 4 wallabies.
14 Aug 1890 I walked out to Norman’s Mount. Shot six wallabies and a doe wallaroo.
15 Aug 1890 At the camp all day. Sent to D Donnelly some ironstone specimens taken from a trench cut across the ironstone lode, North Broula.
16 Aug 1890 I drove in to Cowra. I got an £8 cheque from John Connelly for the first 16 feet we sunk on the marble, the shareholders to make up the other £8 to make it one pound per foot. D Donnelly intends to send the ironstone specimens to Mitchell, Sydney.
17 Aug 1890 Sunday. I drove out to the camp at Broula.
18 Aug 1890 I walked up to Simpson’s gorge and from there to where Gray and I found the emu eggs. Shot a doe kangaroo. From there I followed the main range back to Simpson’s gorge. Shot two wallaroos. From there to the camp.
19 Aug 1890 Made some tan for the skins. Went up to W R Watt’s fence. Shot 3 rock wallabies and a scrub wallaby.
20 Aug 1890 Went in to Watt’s paddock where I shot the native dog. Shot one doe wallaroo. Came back to the camp.
21 Aug 1890 Went to the back of Simpson’s gorge. Shot one kangaroo and a doe wallaroo.
22 Aug 1890 Shot one wallaroo, west end of Dribbendrew.
23 Aug 1890 I drove in to Cowra. Stayed there all night.
24 Aug 1890 I drove out to the camp. One of the young …(?) came with me. Cloudy day.
25 Aug 1890 I got 15 wallaby skins out of tan. I pegged some of them out. I took Jack Chivers’ blue dog out to the back of D Hood’s. I saw some kangaroos. He would not catch them. I shot two wallabies and made some soup.
26 Aug 1890 I cut out a lot of the wallaby skins and sewed some of them together. Went to the top of Dribbendrew. I did not get a shot.
27 Aug 1890 I cut out some more skins and sewed them together. I walked up the gorge and shot a large wallaroo. South Broula shaft down 100 feet . They have to drive 200 feet. The Government is allowing them £1.10.0 per foot. Cloudy day.
28 Aug 1890 At the camp. Gray and May went to Cowra.
29 Aug 1890 At the camp all day.
30 Aug 1890 I drove Miss Aarons in to Cowra.
31 Aug 1890 Sunday. I drove to the camp. All the Broula shareholders out.
1 Sep 1890 At the camp all day.
2 Sep 1890. At the camp. George Campbell of Jerala died at 6 o’clock this morning.[2]
3 Sep 1890 Gray and McNab putting up a whip pole. Harold Hurst came from Cowra. He is going tom work his share with McNab and Gray on South Broula mine. I am sewing wallaby skins together for a rug. George Campbell buried at Jerula today
4 Sep 1890 Making my wallaby rug all day. Last day of the Grenfell Show.
5 Sep 1890 Making the wallaby rug. Showers all day.
6 Sep 1890 Sewing the wallaby rug. Raining all last night and all today. Gray and Hurst went to Cowra.
7 Sep 1890 Sunday. Sewing the wallaby rug.
8 Sep 1890 Making the wallaby rug.
9 Sep 1890 I drove in to Cowra.
10 Sep 1890 The Cowra Show. I was assisting R Daly in their booth in the bar. Not many people on the Ground.
11 Sep 1890 A great crowd on the Ground. We took a good sum of money.
12 Sep 1890 In Daly’s booth up to 12 o’clock.
13 Sep 1890 I was in Cowra all day.
14 Sep 1890 Sunday. At home. Light showers during the night.
15 Sep 1890 I got a Government cheque from John Connelly for £75 – Government aid for sinking on North Broula. I drove out to Broula.
16 Sep 1890 I pegged out some tanned skins and cutting out some skins for another rug. Fine day.
17 Sep 1890 I walked out to the mountain at the back of D Hood’s. I shot two wallabies.
18 Sep 1890 I walked out to Norman’s Mount, and back along Watt’s boundary fence. I shot two rock wallabies, two wallaroos, one brush wallaby and one doe grey kangaroo, one native bear.
19 Sep 1890 I walked up the gorge. I shot one kangaroo.
20 Sep 1890 I drove in to Cowra. I paid Gray in full for sinking on Broula North. £39.0.0. raining.
21 Sep 1890 Sunday. Raining all night and all day.
22 Sep 1890 We shareholders of North Broula were to have a meeting but Boxall did not come.
23 Sep 1890 I got a cheque from John Connelly and Boxall for £6.5.0, their share of expenses on North Broula. A cheque for £3.2.6 from Mr D Donnelly, his share of expenses. All paid up to date.
24 Sep 1890 I drove out to Broula. James Taylor got a letter from garland and Plumb to say that we would not get a reserve for our horses at Broula.
25 Sep 1890 Out after wallabies. Got none. Fine day.
26 Sep 1890 I shot two doe wallaroos on top of Dribbendrew. Fine day.
27 Sep 1890 I driove in to Cowra. Nothing fresh from Peak Hill rush. Great rain after dark.
28 Sep 1890 Sunday. raining most all day.
29 Sep 1890 I drove out to the camp at Broula.
30 Sep 1890 Mrs Quigley died this morning. I drove Miss Aaron, the School Teacher at Broula, to Cowra. We started back from Cowra at half past 5 o’clock. It got dark just as we got to Quigley’s. I left Misss Aarons there. I had great wind and rain from there to Mr Slessor’s. I took the horse out there and put him in the paddock. Too dark to drive to camp. I had some tea and walked to the camp.
1 Oct 1890 I brought the horse and buggy to the camp. I made some wallaby traps and set them along Huckles’ fence.
2 Oct 1890 I had a look at my traps. Nothing touched them I shot a wallaroo. Mrs Quigley buried in Cowra.
3 Oct 1890 I had a look at the traps. No luck.
4 Oct 1890 I drove to Slessor’s and took Miss Woodbridge in to Cowra. Nothing fresh from the Peak Hill.
5 Oct 1890 Sunday. I drove out to the camp at Broula. Very much like rain.
6 Oct 1890 At the camp most all day. Very hot.
7 Oct 1890 Out kangarooing all day. No luck.
8 Oct 1890 raining for about an hour this morning. D Hood came up and asked me if I would assist him to cut some chaff. I got to his place at 10 o’clock and worked all day and came back to the camp tonight.
9 Oct 1890 Working all day at D Hood’s. We finished. Broke the knife.
10 Oct 1890 I walked down to brown’s paddock to get some native bears. I did not see any. In the evening I went westwards towards Hood’s mine after kangaroos. No luck. Some day this week, old Mrs Donnellan died on Morongla Creek.
11 Oct 1890 I drove in to Cowra. Johnson, the Butcher, selling out today. Another barber set up near Murray’s store.
12 Oct 1890 Sunday. I drove out to Broula. Gray and Hurst came at dark.
13 Oct 1890 I took all the kangaroo skins out of tan.
14 Oct 1890 Cutting skins top sizes and sewing together.
15 Oct 1890 Sewing skins all day.
16 Oct 1890 I got a fishing rod for James O’Shaughnessy. I finished sewing the rugs.
17 Oct 1890 I drove in to Cowra.Billy Duggan finished the fence around our allotment. James paid him. I ordered 975 palings from Francis at 11/- per hundred.
18 Oct 1890 In Cowra all day.
19 Oct 1890 Sunday. At home. Dry winds all day. Very sultry.
20 Oct 1890 I intended going to the crossing on the Boorowa River. Going to Frank Harris, but it looked too much like rain. I commenced to put piling on the fence around the house.
21 Oct 1890 Raining all night. Great shower at 11 o’clock today. Showers all day. Putting on palings.
22 Oct 1890 Putting up paling. River very high.
23 Oct 1890 Putting on paling all day. Cold wind and rain.
24 Oct 1890 Putting on paling. Strong wind all day.
25 Oct 1890 Finished putting on paling at 11 o’clock. Finr day.
26 Oct 1890 Sunday. At home. Cold wind.
27 Oct 1890 I drove out to Broula and back to Cowra. Fine day.
28 Oct 1890 I commenced to make a gate. Dry, windy day.
29 Oct 1890 Quarter Sessions. Judge Docker. 3 criminal cases. Hot windy day.
30 Oct 1890 Putting hoop iron on the fence.
31 Oct 1890 Putting hoop iron on the railing. Real hot today.
1 Nov 1890 I finished the top row of hoop iron. I got two square posts from Francis to make a gate.
2 Nov 1890 Sunday. At home. Very hot day.
3 Nov 1890 George Hurst and I put up two gate posts and got some timber from Francis, and we commenced to make a gate. We made the frame before night. No soft wood battens.
4 Nov 1890 Putting hoop iron on the fence. Hurst and I hung the gate. In the evening paid hurst 10/- wages and 7/6 for timber.
5 Nov 1890 Putting the hoop iron. Painted the front gate white.
6 Nov 1890 I got some battens from Mr hart and finished the gate. Hot day.
7 Nov 1890 I painted the front gate and put and put some hoop iron on the paling.
8 Nov 1890 I got ½ cwt of hoop iron from D Donnelly. I was putting it on all day. Real sultry. A few light showers in the evening.
9 Nov 1890 Sunday. At home. Very cool day.
10 Nov 1890 I put on all the hoop iron I had. There about 5 panels short.
11 Nov 1890 I bought some hoop iron from P Murray and put it on.
12 Nov 1890 I got an old quarter cask from Mr Daly to mix up a composition to put on galvanised iron to keep it cool. After dinner, I assisted George Hurst to put up a verandah at Mrs Andrews.
13 Nov 1890 Hurst and I at the verandah. Joseph Male killed. The wagon turned over on him. The side rail came across his neck at Phillips gate, Conombla.
14 Nov 1890 Light showers and heavy wind all day. No work. Joseph male buried today.
15 Nov 1890 hurst and I put all the iron on the verandah and boarded one end. Cloudy day.
16 Nov 1890 Sunday. At home. Cloudy.
17 Nov 1890 I got Hurst to assist me to put on a composition I made to keep the galvanised iron on a house cool. We commenced on the Infants’ School at the Catholic Convent. We put on the first coat.
18 Nov 1890 We nearly had one side finished. The ladder we had borrowed was taken away from us. We did finish the side. In the evening we finished Mrs Andrews’ verandah and went to Mr Francis’ shop and got two pieces of Oregon to make a 26 ft ladder.
19 Nov 1890 Hurst and I making a ladder. Raining from thr east, most all day.
20 Nov 1890 Hurst and I finished the ladder at 12 o’clock.
21 Nov 1890 We finished putting on the composition on the Convent School and did some work at Stokes.
22 Nov 1890 I put the second coat of composition on the verandah at the Convent and finished work at Stokes’. Fine day.
23 Nov 1890 Sunday. At home all day. I went to the railway bridge and caught two small fish.
24 Nov 1890 At home. I got some timber to make a ladder.
25 Nov 1890 Hurst and I finished the ladder. Hurst took timber out to his place near the Burial Ground.
26 Nov 1890 I painted the long ladder.
27 Nov 1890 I put on the first coat of composition on the outhouses at the Catholic Convent and walked out to where Hurst is putting up his new house, and assisted him.
28 Nov 1890 I put on the last coat at the Convent and went out to assist George Hurst.
29 Nov 1890 Working with Hurst all day at his new building.
30 Nov 1890 Sunday. At home all day.
1 Dec 1890 Working with George Hurst all day. Grace O’Shaughnessy came from Mr Kearin’s place at Murringo Flats.
2 Dec 1890 Working with Hurst. Hot windy day.
3 Dec 1890 Working at Hurst’s building. Very hot. We finished at Hurst’s. No timber.
4 Dec 1890 Painting a ladder.
5 Dec 1890 I got my horse and drove out to Broula and brought in some specimens from our mineral leases, North Broula Hill, Grenfell Road. Real hot day.
6 Dec 1890 I made a short ladder. I put on some of the composition on the front of the house. A man found dead in his tent near the river.
7 Dec 1890 Sunday. At home. Agreed with a man to come with me out to Broula to drive in a shaft. Hot day. Great dust storm, and then commenced to rain. A few showers in the evening.
8 Dec 1890 I got my horse out of J. Connelly’s paddock. The man who agreed with me to go to Broula failed to come. I stayed and finished painting roof of the house.
9 Dec 1890 I drove out to Broula. Hot day.
10 Dec 1890 I commenced to log the shaft. Some person stole the anvil and oil can we had, to hold water for tempering.
11 Dec 1890 Logging up the shaft. Very hot day. Gray and Hurst and McNab stopped work in the drive. Too hard for £1.10.0 per foot. The drive is in 50 feet.
12 Dec 1890 I walked up to Mr Abberton’s camp -he is doing some road work near Bumbaldry – to see if he had taken my anvil and oil can, but he said that he did not take them.
13 Dec 1890 I drove in to Cowra. Hot day.
14 Dec 1890 Sunday. I drove out to Broula.
15 Dec 1890 Working at the claim. I shot a doe wallaroo and an old buck wallaroo at one shot.
16 Dec 1890 Working at the claim all day. McNab, Gray and Hurst came from Cowra. They are going to drill a hole in the face of the drive. 10 feet.
17 Dec 1890 Working at the claim. I shot a doe wallaroo in the evening.
18 Dec 1890 I walked up to Dwyer’s paddock for my horse, but he got out last Tuesday. I got Gray’s horse and got my horse in James Anderson’s paddock. Mrs A. had put him in the paddock. I went back to the camp and drove in to Cowra. A dust storm with a little rain. Catholic Children’s Concert in walsh’s hall.
19 Dec 1890 I put my horse in John Connelly’s paddock.
20 Dec 1890 At home all day. I got a cheque from W Boxall for £4.13.4, his share and John Connelly’s for work done at Broula.
21 Dec 1890 Sunday. Minnie, Grace, and I went by train at 6 o’clock this evening. We got to Perth at 10 o’clock. We stayed at Mr Edmund’s Hotel all night. Polly Daly came from Cowra with us.
22 Dec 1890 Minnie, Grace, Kate O’Shaughnessy, Polly Daly and I got on the mail train at 10 o’clock and in to Sydney at 5 o’clock. We stayed at H.O. Donnolly’s, Carrington Boarding House, 513 Kent Street.
23 Dec 1890 . We walked to Bells, 106 Dowling Street. We got back to dinner. In the evening we went to Government Gardens.
24 Dec 1890 Minnie, Grace, Kate and I went on board the steamer ‘Bega’ for Ulladulla. 12pm. Return ticket for one month 20/-. We got to Wollongong at 5 o’clock. Stayed there to coal and got to Ulladulla at 12.30. John Hackett met us at the wharf. We took the coach to Milton – 4 miles.
25 Dec 1890 Christmas day. At John Hacketts. He has a fine house to live in. He is Telegraph master here. Fine climate.
26 Dec 1890 John and Mrs Hackett, and their three children and Minnie, Grace, Kate and I walked down to Narrawilly – about 2 miles. This is a splendid beach. Coming down we passed through some splendid timber. Back to Milton at 5pm. All small paddocks here. No farming. All dairy farms. Fine grass country. All low hills and water in every creek.
27 Dec 1890 We did not go out. John and I had a look at the new Catholic Church. .Cloudy day. Wind blowing from the south. We all went to Mass in a small wood house.
28 Dec 1890 Sunday. We went to Mass in a small wood house.
29 Dec 1890. At Hacketts. Raining most all day.
30 Dec 1890 I went in Davis’ coach to Ulladulla and back to Milton. A light shower.
31 Dec 1890. James O’Shaughnessy sent us a paper from Cowra. I went by coach to Ulladulla at 12 pm to meet the steamer ‘Bega’ bound for Merimbula. We had to wait about one hour.
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[1] Lewis Ponds is 16 miles east of Orange and the locality was the source of several minerals from 1850 to the end of the century. Ore from other locations was assayed there. [Glint of Gold.]
[2] Much has been written on this well known grazier and political leader