Gabriel Read Discovers Payable Gold

In Tasmania in 1861 after hearing of gold discoveries in Mataura New Zealand, Gabriel Read took a passage from Hobart to Dunedin. He questioned many along the way about the likelihood of gold but decided to head instead to Canterbury. But Otago beckoned again and he headed to John Hardy's farm at Tokomairiro. Farmer, J L Gillies, knew Read’s brother in Tasmania. Gillies said he and Peter Robertson had talked with Black Peter about gold at Tuapeka. Gillies had done some prospecting at Evans Flat and said Black Peter was only hen scratching. Read got a letter of introduction to Peter Robertson from Gillies.

The elections for Superintendent were held on 17 May and prior to setting out on his epic journey, Read took the Tokomairiro election returns to Dunedin after the election and there he met Major Richardson.

On his return from delivering the voting papers Read began preparations for his journey, taking a large loaf of bread, 4-5lb bacon, 5lb of oatmeal, tea and sugar to last a fortnight. He stitched his own tent, took a pick, spade, tin dish and two blankets and headed toward Waitahuna.

He was picked up in a dray and given a lift to Peter Robertson’s. (Peter Robertson was head shepherd for Musgrave and Murray who sub-leased the land from John Cargill) and his hut was midway between Tuapeka and Waitahuna on the old track, his was a popular stopping place for travelers. He slept the night then headed for Tuapeka.

Read met a youth employed on Bowler’s property and asked him where Black Peter had prospected but found the area disappointing. He prospected the bank of the river where the Evans flat branch joined the Gabriel’s branch. He moved along the river and noticed alluvial gold uniformly distributed. At the acute bend where Davy and Bowler’s road crossed he observed rich pyrites in the bank. Gabriel asked Mr George Munro (a shepherd on Davy and Bowler’s run) where Black Peter had been trying his luck and he pointed out another branch in the river. Gabriel stayed with Mr Munro for the night then went to Gabriel’s branch on or about 25 or 26 May. At the top of the hill the beech forest was thick and he followed down an insignificant stream until he was opposite Blue Spur. Just when he had decided to head back to his tent as darkness was coming on;

“A kind of road crossed on a shallow bar. I shoveled away about two and a half feet of gravel and arrived at a beautiful soft slate and saw the gold shining like the stars in Orion on a dark frosty night.”

It was dark before he’d finished washing his prospect and impatient to ascertain his results he carried his loose gold in the pan on his way back to the tent, falling in holes in the dark. He had nearly 2oz.

He pitched his tent below the saddle that led to Munro’s and didn’t do much panning at the original site but moved around and checked out the hills and decided they were auriferous. He used an oilskin for a sluice and was joined by Mr Munro who he showed the gold to. They worked together for a short time. Gabriel ascended the spur from Lawrence, tried panning at Waitahuna passed Mt Stewart at a saddle and then carried on down the road to Tokomairiro.

Gabriel returned to his employer John Hardy – the member for the district, and told him of the news on June 2 and composed his letter to the Superintendent;

“I take the liberty of troubling you with a short report on the result of a gold prospecting tour which I commenced about a fortnight since, and which occupied me about ten days. During that period I traveled inland about thirty five miles and examined the ravines and tributaries of the Waitahuna and Tuapeka rivers. My equipment consisted of a tent, blanket, spade, tin-dish, butcher’s knife and about a week’s supply of provisions. I examined a large area of country and washed pans of earth in different localities. I found at many places prospects which would hold out a certainty that men with the proper tools would be munificently remunerated; and in one place, for ten hours’ work with pan and butcher’s knife, I was enable to collect about 7oz of gold.”


Read’s letter was printed in the Otago Witness on June 4 but the Dunedin public was apathetic and there was no rush. There had been other claims of gold discovery throughout the region and further afield which had come to nothing so people were skeptical. However the farming population of Tokomairiro believed Read’s claims. Mr Hardy accompanied Gabriel back to the Gully with a bullock wagon with supplies and Hardy’s son Edwin and a man named Brookes joined the party and the four of them worked the claim for two weeks saving 112oz gold.

Word began to spread and people began visiting the area and there were about 40 people working on the site. Local settlers staked claims alongside. Then on 28 June 1861 member for the district John Hardy described to the Provincial Council the extent of the discovery and that his party had proved an area 31 miles x 5 to be gold bearing.
The Rush Begins

The same day in the Provincial Council chambers the Superintendent made an announcement requesting extra powers under the Goldfields Act. This was in preparation for the influx of population, to provide protection of property, the services of the Inspector of Police and some experienced Constables from Melbourne were requested. The Council approved the special powers. One thousand six hundred and eighty eight pounds from the Provincial Council was used to establish the Goldfields Police Department.

On 29 June 1861 letters from McIndoe, J L Gillies and Gabriel Read were published in the Otago Witness to assure the public of the sincerity of the discovery.

The exodus from Dunedin began slowly at first. The Provincial Surveyor, Thomson visited the gully and on 3 July 1861 reported about 150 men were at the diggings. Thomson also reported figures for the value of gold won by principal parties. Rumour and speculation ran rife through the city. On 6 July the Otago Witness declared;

“Gold Gold Gold. Gold is the universal subject of conversation. The gold fever is running at such a height that if it continues there will scarcely be a man left in town.”

A week later the Witness published of the arrival of about 600oz of gold into Dunedin. The rush began to set in and five hundred men were at Gabriel’s Gully.

Helen Munro, the wife of shepherd George Munro discovered gold at Munro’s Gully. By mid July 1861 the rush emptied most of Dunedin’s adult male population. On Friday, 20 July 1861 the Waitahuna goldfield was discovered by Gabriel Read and Captain Baldwin. The two Weatherston brothers made a strike at the foot of what became Weatherston’s Gully whilst out pig shooting and within four months the biggest canvas town in the area was at Weatherston’s Gully.

Victorian miners joined the rush and poured into and through Dunedin and by the beginning of August there were 2000 diggers at the Gully. By September 1861 there were 4000 miners at Gabriel’s Gully. The population of Otago doubled within a year as in December 1860 the population in Otago was 12,700 and by December 1861 it was 27,163. A newspaper reported;

“Master and man have gone together on equal terms leaving farming operations under agreement to return to reap the crops. If the fever continues there will be little crop to reap.”

There were reports that churches had no congregations and in many cases women and children had gone too.

The fabric of society as it was known changed beyond belief during the period as farmers, city folk, squatters, shepherds, sailors, lawyers, businessmen, clerks and wealthy people rolled up their sleeves alongside each other in the diggings. Luck and physical prowess were the only factors preventing a complete, if temporary equality as people from all walks of life worked alongside each other.

At the end of 1861 official reports had the population at the goldfields at 10,830.