NB – Burketown, as it appears in the map above, was named after an early settler, Mr William Burke. Authors and newspapers of the 1850s and 60s used the spelling Burketown, but from 1872 the newspapers referred to this area as Bourketown. I have used Burketown on the map and in notes, for the 1850s and 60s.
Initially information about gold mining in Newtown was extremely limited, only brief sentences with very little detail. The earliest information came from the Sydney Morning Herald1Sydney Morning Herald, 8 February 1855. in 1855 …
A Mr. Sproul, who has taken a large block of land from H. C. Burnell, Esq., upon a lay, seems likely to have hit upon a rich deposit ; and others who are at work, both upon the same property, and upon Government land adjoining, have for a considerable period been making first-rate wages.
Henry Clay Burnell arrived in Araluen in 1831. He had been granted 1280 acres by the government. His holdings increased in 1834 with four plots of 640 acres each. He built a homestead in Araluen, but by 1840 he was living in his Bungendore residence. In 1843 he moved to his Runnymede homestead in Bateman’s Bay. His brother-in-law, Frederick Stokes, managed the Araluen property. In 1847 he was appointed as a magistrate in Sydney where he had already built 10 houses. In 1853 he and his family moved to Sydney, where he stayed until he died in 1888. More detail on this amazing man can be found at https://www.bellsite.id.au/gdbtree/HTMLFiles/HTMLFiles_52/P11044.html
Later in 1855 the Goulburn Herald reports2Goulburn Herald and County of Argyle Advertiser, 15 September 1855. …
A gentleman arrived at our office from Araluen late on Thursday night, and informed us of the recent discovery of a promising gold field at Araluen ; it is on Mr. Burnell’s private land, and two parties who have tried it are flushed with confidence of success. Mr. Sproul’s party of three obtained 16 ozs. of gold in a fortnight. Mr. Byrnes’ party got 18 ozs. in three days. The diggings are from 12 to 14 feet deep ; the soil is easily dug, and the ground is so situated as to be easily drained ; it is situated on the low land below the mountain. The gold is coarse, and found in pieces of from ¼dwt., to 1½ dwt. Our informant firmly believes that it will turn out very remunerative, and he adds that upwards of 500 claims are already taken out. It appears that the enterprising miners who have made this discovery have got upon the old lead from the Government ground, and from Mrs. Jenning’s ground, which had been lost for the last eight or nine months. We congratulate our Braidwood friends, and hope that the new gold-field will realise their highest hopes by the richness of its yield.
In May 1862, we learn that …
German Flat and Mudmelong are now apparently worked out, but the diggers have extended their operations from the head of Crown Flat and the Old Plain [the area that became Newtown] which, a few months ago, presented nothing to the view but a quantity of horses and kine quietly feeding, now presents the appearance of a town, and resembles the old diggings lower, down the creek in the days of the pristine glory of the Happy Valley.3Freeman’s Journal, 28 May 1862, p 6.
And in December 1863, an example of the development taking place to attract the miners …
Mr. S. H. Thomas, of the Race Course Hotel, is having a very substantial two-storied weather-board house erected, alongside his present one, a portion of which, we understand, is to be used for the Oddfellows’ lodge room. Mr Davern is also having a very substantial building erected at Newtown, which he will shortly open as an hotel. The building is large and commodious.4Araluen Star and Miners’ Right, 5 December 1863.
In February 1864 there was an updated description of the development at Newtown. There is reference to what must have been some heavy rain, as floods were not reported in 1864 until April …
At Newtown the place appears more like a city than a bush, particularly of an evening, when innumerable lights from scores of dwellings illuminate the air. So far as digging goes, several claims on the plains have been opened, but we are sorry to say they have been abandoned for the present, not on account of a scarcity of auriferous treasures, but on account of the water being too redundant. However there is no doubt the ground will shortly be worked ; the plains are all mapped out into claims, and we trust to see a heavy population hard at work.5Araluen Star and Miners’ Right, 27 February 1864.
And it appears that diggers deserted the Sapling Point goldfields, between Crown Flat and Reedy Flat, and relocated to Newtown …
We observe that Mr Kennedy, of the Sapling Point Hotel is busy at Newtown, next to Maher’s store, building a new public house, where he intends to carry on business instead of at Sapling Point.6Araluen Star and Miners’ Right,21 May 1864.
By the end of 1865 Newtown was as busy as Redbank.
In April 1867 there was a severe flood affecting the whole valley with 1000 men out of work. It appears the miners in Newtown recovered fairly quickly, being further away from the main creek …
Down the Araluen proper, from Newtown to Mudmelong, the works have been entirely interrupted by the flooding in of the claims. However, several are being opened again, whilst others are to remain in the same state they are at present through the discouraging prospects obtained from them previously to the flood, and the scarcity of necessary funds on the part of the claim-holders. A large portion of the male population of the Valley are gone in search of employment where the accounts are encouraging. Some are making their way towards the Emu Creek, others intend sailing for New Zealand. Some more are going to try their luck in Victoria, and a few are going as far as the Barrier Ranges.7Sydney Mail, 27 April 1867
And in June, there was another flood, with Newtown more severely affected …
The roads and creeks through Newtown and Redbank, being the main road to Moruya and from Braidwood, are nearly impassable. In several places the late heavy rains has formed creeks across the road, where previously there existed only a small run of water. The communication between Redbank and Newtown would have been entirely cut off for foot passengers for a week or two, until the Long Flat and Sandy creeks had sufficiently subsided, had it not been for a bridge having been erected across each of those creeks by private enterprise. The government have been applied to and ought to grant a sum of money to be expended on the main road, leading from the foot of the mountain through the town to Crown Flat.8Empire, 5 July 1867.
In February 1868 the storms had injurious and sad effects …
During the very heavy storm of thunder and lightning which occurred on Sunday night last, a young man in Araluen named David Scott was struck by the electric fluid while riding on horseback along the main street in Newtown, and both he and the horse were instantaneously killed. The deceased was removed to Kennedy’s public house, near to where he was killed, and Dr. Gentle was called in, but of course to no purpose, as the ill-feted young man was quite dead. Dr. Gentle informed us that the lightning struck him in the breast, from which it passed down the front of his body till it came in contact with the horse, upon the body of which, however, no marks of the electric fluid have been discerned. The deceased was a butcher by trade and at the time his death was in the employment of Mr. E. Smith. He was unmarried, and had not been long in Araluen.9Albury Banner and Wodonga Express, 8 February 1868.
And finally, at the end of this decade, we get word of the mining in Newtown, which hopefully augers well for the next decade.10Empire,18 December 1869. …
Higher up the creek, at Newtown, some parties are doing extremely well.