Kilmore Free Press at KellyGang 21/10/1880

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On each side the mountains were high and almost perpendicular, as is the nature of the country along the Goulburn river from the Flour Bag hill up; but here the country was wilder than ever, and though the scenery was magnificent, its still, gloomy, shadowy nature tended, with the small means limited provisions, and the difficulty of getting anything from Jameison, then a petty hamlet, to cast a gloom on every member of the hardy band.

As it was evening the fire was lighted, and after a supper of damper and tea the four men gathered around the blaze to consult on the course to be pursued on the marrow; provisions are running short, and could only be saved from the long haired rats which then swarmed in the ranges, by being swung by a rope from a horizontal bar; the wild dogs and oppossums were howling and squealing around the camp, attracted by the fire, and the only other animals in the ranges, the bears and wombats were too lazy to leave their haunts for a sight of the strangers.

The spirits of the party were depressed, and the council was short, the principal speaker being red Tom, who was for going up the creek, and as the others "didn't care,' they went. After three days, travelling up the creek they came upon gold, prospect after prospect was washed with improving results, claims were marked out, and two of the party were sent to register and bring more stores; in nine days they returned, after having registered their claims at Kilnore, which was then the nearest mining registrar's office, with pro visions, and several other parties of miners, and operations were commenced systematically.

The prospectors now applied to the Government for the reward for finding a new goldfield, and Mr Cobben, a superintendent of police was sent up to report after having inspected the creek, which was now called Gaffney's Creek, after the two leading prospectors- Cobben reported favorably on its auriferous nature, and recommended that the prospectors receive the reward. Directly the report was made known the place was rushed by miners from all parts of the colony, and in less than a fortnight there was between 800 and a 1000 miners on the creek, and the prospectors were forced to wash a paddock of dirt, which only yielded a few penny weights of gold, to the disgust and rage of the assembled, who raged against Cobben and the prospectors for bringing them into the ranges on a fool's errand.

Nearly every one on the creek prepared to leave, and it was proposed to search for the prospectors. who were hidden in the scrub and lynch them; wiser council however prevailed, and in less then three weeks; about 1000 miners had come to and gone from Gaffney's Creek all of whom pronounced Superintendent Cobben and the prospectors swindlers. The reward was withheld from the prospectors, and the superintendent fell into disgrace; he insisted nevertheless on the correctness of his report, " because." as he said, "a lot of miners could not find payable gold in a few days it didn't prove there was no payable gold to be found," which turned out to he the case, for in a few weeks the prospectors and the few men who had remained were getting splendid gold, and a steady flow of mines set in, who worked perseveringly with various success, some getting as much as 9ozs of gold to the paddock. In the end of 1860 a prosperous town was formed on, Gaffney's Creek many of the dif8fioities of getting to Jamieson were oversome, and provisions, though fetching fabulous prices, for instance flour £12 per bag had fallen fully 25 per cent.

Townships sprung up on Raspberry creek and Snob's point each about a mile and a half from Gaffney's creek, and prospecting parties were sent out in every direction. Three of the prospectors Black Tom Gaffney, Fred Gilogley and Jim Garvey had left the place and fourth, Tom T Gaffney, now applied for the Government reward, and obtained £250. T T Gaffney as one of the party who found the creek and the only one who thoroughly believed in its being payable and stuck to it through thick and thin, may safely be said to be the discoverer and real prospector of Gaffney's Creek, which was the first township ever established in the ranges.

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