2 Geckos Travelling Australia: Sat, 18th Aug, 2018 Bush camp by Palmer River to Pete’s lease, Palmer River Goldfields, Qld (Stephen & Amanda’s birthday)

Last year in the 50s for Steve!! Lucky we don’t care what age we are just if we are healthy and enjoying ourselves. Will send a message to Amanda when we get phone service again and we will see them in September.

Lovely clear cool morning. Lots of birds tweeting.

Went wandering with our detectors. Steve got a nice birthday nuglet.

Margaret found a lovely nuglet too. She was so tickled pink to get her first bit of Palmer gold. I had given up – too much rubbish for my 2300.

Packed up and headed across the rocky causeway called Dog Leg Crossing of the Palmer River.

Into the Goldfields Reserve. Gold was first discovered by Frederick Warner, the surveyor on Hann’s expedition on 16 August, 1872 in the Palmer River. Both the Palmer and Normanby Rivers were found and named on this expedition. But it was James Venture Mulligan, with Brown, Dowdall, Watson and Robertson who found gold there on 30 June 1873 and thoroughly prospected the river for 20 miles. They found 105 ounces of gold and started one of the most amazing rushes in Australia’s history.

Turned off and up and down the hills to the Queen of the North Mine. It opened in 1874 making it one of the earliest reef mines. All the machinery here arrived by 1878 and by 1880 it was in the hands of the Queensland National Bank and was later let to tributers. The mine was flooded by 1887. Others have tried to re-work the mine in the early 1900s and in 1939 the battery was removed.

The big chimney has broken off and fallen down.

Lots of deep shafts nearby.

Looking down over the tailings and the creek.

Back out then around to the Ida Mine. Lots of scattered bits and pieces. Ida was a township too. In 1883 there were 3 hotels. From 1878 until it closed the Ida mine was worked privately and reached a depth of 75 metres with drives to 105 metres long. Alf Munn was the town’s last resident in 1966.

Turned left and headed down to Maytown. First we checked out the Cemetery. Sam ‘the last rock miner’ and John Edwards, the founder of Edwardstown which became Maytown. He was the local butcher. The name was changed when it was surveyed in 1875 by A.C Macmillan who named it Maytown after his daughter.

Looking down on the Palmer River from the edge of the cemetery.

Bob and Margaret made it to a Queensland Goldfield.

Map of Maytown.

In the early days the miners were finding 30 ounces of gold per pan – Wow. In 1873 30,000 people descended on the Palmer River area. Between 1873 and 1879 the area produced more than a million ounces of gold. In 1876 there were 12 hotels, 3 bakers, 6 stores, 3 tobacconists and stationers, butcher, lemonade factory and a surgeon. By 1882 there were only 6 hotels, 2 stores, 10 Chinese stores, 2 banks, 2 butchers, saddler, chemist, lemonade factory and a printer. The post office existed from 1876 to 1945. In 1886 the population was 154 Europeans and 450 Chinese. By the turn of the century there was a bank, state school, courthouse, school of arts, hospital, police barracks, hotel, 8 stores, baker, saddler and Miners Institute. By 1924 only one store remained. The last resident in the 1950s was a gentleman named Mand. A time capsule has been installed in the middle of the intersection.

The old curbing & channelling down one side of a very wide Leslie Street. The other direction was the Post Office.

Parked near a shady tree to have lunch. Very warm today.

Walked down to the replica miner’s hut the Historical Society erected. Lots of bits and pieces in here and information. Sadly the visitor’s book has been abused. John Hay was the main force behind the Historical Society and it is a credit to him and his team that they have managed to have so much machinery and history preserved. Sadly he has passed on now so one hopes someone else will pick up the challenge and keep this historical society preserved for the future history seekers.

Steve and I visited Sam’s ‘Wild Irish Mine’ years ago. Amazing to think what he did by himself by hand. Very scary shafts too.

Walked down Leslie Street checking out the plaques the Historical Society had put in.

Lots of broken bottles at the back of this hotel. Nice pavers for the store.

Still lots of little printer letters etc they used to make the template for the paper.

Plenty of corrugated iron at the bakers. Lots of brick from the old baker’s oven.

Walked down the back of the ‘property’ to where the land drops away to Butchers Creek.

Interesting tree with no leaves and just a few buds.

One of the old telegraph poles.

Steve noticed Bob’s tray had come loose again so they found a shady spot and got to work fixing it. Margaret and I walked down the track towards the Palmer River. Found the grave of one of the last locals.

Looking down on the Palmer River and the old river crossing.

Back out past the stumps of the school – quite a way out of town. Passed the other mines – will check them out on the way home. Past Danny’s place, the only freehold land in the goldfields. Steve said he got the wagon from George from the Cairns Detecting Shop.

Up the track then we turned in the mining leases and then down to the North Palmer River.

Along through the sand, a bit of water then across Christmas Crossing (North Palmer River). Named by Sam Elliott when he was heading into Maytown to have Christmas lunch with a friend. He shot some ducks here for lunch.

Unfortunately it is a steep climb up out of the crossing and Bob’s car decided it had had enough so we backed up and turned around. Back over the crossing then we continued along the river to see if Frank was home. Wonga Mick has been here – he is a stone mason who is always creating rock cairns.

Along the ridge and across the dam wall at Milkman’s Flat.

They have a great sign at the entrance.

This is one place I could live in if we wanted to stay in one place.

Leo came out to greet us as he is back from his travelling after 7 years. He is still looking after the stove Steve put in for them all those years ago. It has been underwater a few times during floods but they clean it out and away it goes again. Frank, Leo and Wonga has just come back so it was great timing. Steve borrowed their phone to ring Charles and let him know we can’t get over to his lease. He said to stop at Pete’s and hopefully he would call in and see us if he can get his car going.

Leo made us cuppa and we introduced Bob and Margaret and sat around the fabulous fire pit chatting. It said to Frank about Di’s book and he said he wasn’t here but his parents were when she called in. The owners of the Roadhouse at the time brought her in.

The North Palmer is very low – they didn’t get any of the rain that hit Cairns earlier.

Took Margaret and Bob for a tour and showed them the ‘Museum’. Steve asked Wonga if he was interested in selling any of the bottles as we had met a chap in WA who collected. He said no and when the time comes he will donate them all to a Museum.

Wonga’s latest attraction – shame it wasn’t real.

Back to the lowest level where the living/cooking area is – river height levels during the wet season. They showed us some photos of interesting ‘art’ from up in the Conglomerates – nothing like we have ever seen and it was etched into the top of the rocks facing the sky rather than in a cave etc. Makes you wonder about UFOs etc.

Said our goodbyes and headed back along the river. Bob managed to get his car back up the steep road from the river. Stopped at the top to take the new signs for the lease.

Down the track about to Pete’s lease. He was back in NZ at the moment and Charles’ was caretaking it so it is good to have someone around. We parked near his camp and got a fire going then had a nice cool drink.