Sofala, NSW

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About Sofala, NSW

Sofala in one of the oldest surviving gold rush period towns in Australia. It began in 1851 as a collection of miners' tents and shacks along the Turon River and a population that peaked at 10,000 within a few months. Today it is a popular tourist stop with a resident population of about 200, in the Central West of New South Wales. And with a fossikers licence, you can still wash some "colour" in the river. Recent and vintage photos of the township and surrounding area are welcome.
May also include the villages of Peel, Wattle Flat, Limekilns, Turondale, Upper Turon.
www.walkabout.com.au/locations/NSWSofala.shtml

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Sofala’s Gold Rush Past

The Turon Goldfield, centred at Sofala, north of Bathurst, consisted of the greater part of the Turon River valley. The second goldfield to be discovered in Australia, it was one of the major gold-mining areas of colonial New South Wales. For a time during 1851, the Turon was Australia’s most populous field. Once the rush to the valley got under way the simple word ‘Turon’ was enough to arouse almost unbounded excitement in the minds of thousands of colonists.

During the first decade of gold, the Turon was also significant for reasons other than just its levels of population and gold production. Between 1851 and 1853 an important political and economic struggle took place on the goldfields between the diggers and the N.S.W. Legislative Council. It was a struggle over the monthly miners’ licence and it challenged the colony’s established order. In February 1853 it reached its climax when Turon miners approached the brink of armed insurrection in an event which was, in a number of respects, the precursor of the rebellion at Ballarat’s Eureka stockade. Another political issue aroused by the goldfields was the question of Chinese immigration.

By 1861 the Turon had one of the highest goldfield Chinese populations in the colony, while Sofala itself had more Chinese inhabitants than any other N.S.W. gold town. Unlike the Burrangong or Lambing Flat field, the Turon saw no anti-Chinese riots, but Turon diggers did express strong anti-Chinese sentiments and petitioned the government to keep the Chinese out. A study of the Chinese community reveals that the Europeans’ prejudices were, for the most part, unfounded.

The field began a few miles below the river’s source; some miles of the river valley near the Turon’s junction with the Macquarie River were administered as part of the Tambaroora-Hill End Goldfield. The field included the hills and tablelands that flanked the river, the most notable of which was the Wattle Flat tableland, just south of Sofala, and the river’s various tributaries as well.

It is widely believed that two men, Lister and Raffael were the first to find gold in the Turon. Three weeks after gold was found at Ophir, they found gold at Golden Point. However, Harry Hodge in The Hill End Story says that the two Tom brothers, after being involved with the discovery of gold at Ophir, continued down the Macquarie River and up the Turon prospecting, and it was they who first found gold on the Turon.

The Government Geologist, S Stutchbury reported to his superior, Commissioner Hardy, on 9th June 1851 that he had found gold along the Turon River at various places upstream from its Junction with the Macquarie River. A few days later J B Richards brought into Bathurst a nugget weighing one ounce (28 g) which had been found on his property by one of his shepherds. Word spread fast, and many of the diggers at Ophir hurriedly left there and travelled to the Turon. Prospectors on their way to Ophir, heard of the find when they reached Bathurst, and they too detoured to this new and hopefully richer field. Mr Richards began to have major problems with trespassers on his property, and despite police warnings, the miners continued to wash for gold.

Within three weeks there were 500 people on the Turon, and Mr Richards and another local landowner Mr William Henry Suttor of Brucedale were supplying the populace with meat and provisions. The locality, 30 km NNW of Bathurst, was originally called the Western Goldfields but was soon named Sofala, after a town in Africa of the same name, which had been a trading post for gold, brought in by the natives from the surrounding hills. The Queen of Sheba was said to have purchased her gold there.

An American named Bush arrived on the scene with the know-how to build a quick-silver machine, he also introduced the Long Tom puddling machine, which was easier to work than the cradle and required less water per man. By the first week in July 1851, there were eight shops as well as several butcher’s shops selling meat supplied by Mr Suttor and Mr Richards. A Mr Clapham had erected an accommodation house for the diggers, which was probably warmer and a little more comfortable than the twig and bark gunyahs in which most of them were living. Winter in the Turon, as at Ophir, is a cold time.

The most popular prospect at this time was Wallaby Rocks, but prospectors were also at other waterholes along the river (the Turon was not flowing at that stage as there had been a long drought), as well as at Oakey, Two Mile and Crudine Creeks. Women were also noted to be working diligently, much to the surprise of the men. By 14th July word was out that Oakey Creek was the place to be, so many of the miners at Wallaby Rocks left for the new find. The store keeper had no alternative but to follow the flow. Mr Cummings had set up a butcher’s shop at the junction of Big Oakey Creek and the Turon, and was doing a roaring trade. Mr Rogers’ General Store was the place to go for any thing for the male. One miner asked for a pair of ladies underwear and a thimble for his wife and Mr Roger’s response was, “I nearly fainted, but after a severe struggle with my delicate nature, I mustered the courage to advise this customer to lend his wife his breeches, for I never dreamt of taking ladies underwear to the Turon diggings”.

By the end of August 1851, a centralised postal point was established, and more wives were arriving to be with their husbands, giving the place a more permanent look. Timber dwellings were being erected in place of the tree branch blanket or bark covered humpies and canvas tents. Things were looking up for some, down for others. Heavy rains meant the Turon and surrounding creeks were flowing again, but many of the less successful miners were wet, cold and disillusioned. Problems arose when Gold Commissioner Hardy tried to collect the monthly lease fees, particularly from the less successful miners. Mining accidents were common with tunnel collapses or earth falls, flash flooding after heavy rain, dysentery became rife with so many people on the field living in unhygienic conditions, and in spring the snakes and flies were a great problem.

In November 1851 the site of the township was surveyed and after being proclaimed in the Government Gazette, it was possible to lease land for occupancy on an annual rental. At the end of December there were five stores, several butchers, and ten publicans, with the first two being C S Quail’s Globe Hotel, and William Davis’ Gas Hotel. Other businesses included two boarding houses, two surgeons, several gold buyers, a Prize Fighter and a Circus.
During September shafts began to be dug up to a depth of 7.5 m, with good results. At Golden Point near Oakey Creek, up on Ration Hill and at Munday Point opposite Big Oakey Creek, shafts and tunnels were everywhere. In 1851 it was estimated that 152,000 oz (4,310 kg) of gold was produced on the Turon. Much of it was sent to Sydney by private means to be sold, but a great deal was also sent by gold escort.

Discontent in relation to the monthly licence fee began to grow in October, when a tighter regulation was proclaimed to overcome diggers continually moving camp, and not taking up a claim in one particular spot. The miners also had to call at the Commissioner’s tent rather than him coming to them. If they did not pay within four days the fee was doubled or they were jailed. A public meeting was held on 6 November when various motions against the new rules were passed. By the end of 1851 the population had peaked at around 10,000 and would never be as high again.

Anger mounted when W C Wentworth, himself an owner of land on which gold had been found, suggested smashing the cradles and burning the tents of defaulting miners; and Deas Thompson, the Chief Secretary implied that all miners were earning a lot of money so could therefore pay the fee without problem - which, of course was not the case. During February 1852, the river was in again in flood, but the miners still had to pay their fees. Later that year the government announced plans to impose a further tax to fund a tunnel to divert the Turon under Lucky Point.

A new Act was proclaimed at the end of December 1852 with increased fees, this was to come into force on 1st February 1853. A confrontation occurred on 8th February when four of the miners “gave themselves up”, and then the other miners decided to “free” these scapegoats. They were placated by Rev Piddington who was well respected, and the four miners were fined ₤1 each (equivalent to 2 weeks wages for a skilled craftsman in 1850) which was collected from the crowd. The miners lost their fight at that time, and it then became a common sight for defaulters to be led away in chains to Bathurst jail. However by 1 October a new Act was passed, with a licence fee of 10/- which only had to be paid by active diggers.

In August-September 1853, gold was found at Wattle Flat on Uncle Tom’s Hill, and there was a general exodus from Sofala to the new strike. The type of mining was different, with much more reef mining being undertaken. Gold was also found at Palmers Oakey Creek in September, and immediately more men left Sofala for this new field, and a store was immediately set up to provide for their needs; two hotels opened shortly after. By October 1855 Palmers Oakey had a population of several hundred and a police barracks and lock-up.

In May 1853 The Ration Hill Company installed a giant sluice on the Turon with a steam generated pump, which was designed to siphon some of the water from the river to a reservoir for sluicing the whole of Ration Hill. this had failed, as had another such project at Patterson’s Point.

In March 1855 gold was found on the Lower Turon in the river bed, with very good returns being obtained by the miners there. Spring Creek was another lucrative find, and several nuggets were found in the area. Nuggets were also found later, in 1875 and 1891 at Jews Creek (also known as Wallaby Creek).

Chinese arrived on the Turon goldfield in 1855 with the establishment of a community of about 30 miners at Maitland Point, working on the claims abandoned by the Europeans. By July 1856, Commissioner Johnston reported that 150 Chinese arrived during the month “and have apparently determined on remaining, they are a patient industrious race, who do well where Europeans cannot”. The Chinese worked with a thoroughness far exceeding the earlier arrivals, winning more gold from the tailings than the Europeans ever had. By 1861 Sofala’s Chinese population was 642 with 1877 on the Turon goldfield as a whole, all of whom were male. This was by far the highest on any goldfield in N.S.W. , easily out-numbering the male European population. The total European population at this time was 2,538. The Chinese also kept gardens and by 1883 tobacco was among the crops grown. The Isle of Dreams east of the town is reputedly the site of a former Joss House and there was another in Bowen Street.

In 1860 the miners built a hospital with a bark roof, until a more suitable building could be erected. Four schools were present during the peak times, at Bradshaw’s Flat, Wallaby Rocks, and a Public School at Sofala, near the Catholic Convent, built in 1868, and two private schools. The Anglican, Wesleyan and Salvation Army communities were also catered for.

Between 1861 and 1868, mining companies were formed, as more capital was required to efficiently work the reef mines. As the shafts became deeper, more problems arose with the influx of water, so stronger machines had to be purchased to keep this under control. Many of the companies early on were centered in Sofala, but as time went by they had to interest investors from Bathurst and Sydney.

A nugget weighing 115 oz (3.26 kg) was found in 1870 by a man named Prosper, which caused some excitement. The Spring Creek Mining venture closed, and new reefs were found at Palmers Oakey, with the Lucky Hit mine opening. Water races were being constructed to sluice Golden Point, and three others were also built, making sluicing operations the most profitable form of mining during the year. Mr Crosswell had the richest claim at the junction of Big Oakey Creek and the Turon River. He had been sheltering in a cave from a storm, and noticed gold protruding out of the ground just inside the entrance. A nugget weighing 120 oz (3.4 kg) was found there. Some Chinese found a very large nugget at Spring Creek, which was nearly too heavy to carry. It is understood that it was broken up and shipped back to China. The richest stretch of soil was from east of Sofala at Pennyweight Point to a few kilometres west of the village. The Box Ridge Mines and Monkey Hill Deep Lead were both active in the Turondale area from early times until about 1903. Probably well over 10,600 oz (300 kg) of gold was taken from these mines.

Sluicing continued to be the main form of mining with a few intermittent reef mines being active up until 1899, when the Turon River Dredging Company commenced operations with a floating pontoon on which was a boiler and a 16 hp engine, with steam winches and a small donkey engine. A second dredge was constructed 5 km down the river. A further dredge commenced operations in 1900, but closed in 1901. The other concerns were quite profitable, and employed about 18 men per dredge, and worked the river systematically until 1914, when the river had been exhausted. The total value of gold won by this method was ₤113,244 from 29,793 oz (845 kg) during the time the dredges were in operation.

From 1914 until 1943 there was an occasional burst of minor activity when an old mine would be opened, or someone would try sluicing again, but no great returns were obtained. Today people still come to the area and there are quite a few places where fossicking is allowed.

The town claims to be the oldest remaining gold village in New South Wales, and certainly the feeling of history is present. There are few modern buildings in the town centre and the main street has many substantial buildings from Sofala’s gold rush past.

Sources:
* The Glint of Gold, a History and Tourist Guide to the Goldfields of the Central West of NSW, Kerrin Cook & Daniel Garvey 1999, pp. 288-293.
* Gold and Water, a History of Sofala and the Turon Goldfield, Matthew Higgins 1990.

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See also these sites for gravestone transcriptions:

Sofala Anglican Cemetery - www.family.joint.net.au/index.php?mid=14&cid=905
Sofala General Cemetery - austcemindex.com/cemetery.php?id=85
Sofala Catholic Cemetery - austcemindex.com/cemetery.php?id=87

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