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dispersal of Chinese coins and opium tin fragments also fits into this
pattern.
Included in the glass items is the "6 to the gallon" whisky bottle. The date
this brand of whisky was first made or imported into Australia has not been
established. However, it was certainly available in 1895 at Milparinka, and
is also found at the other site being considered. It is most likely associated
with the Chinese occupation, as Chinese items came from the same
quadrat, but could represent the superimposition of artefacts from a
subsequent occupancy.
Quite apart from the stone hut is another scatter, comprised almost
exclusively of ferrous artefacts. This scatter seems to represent a
workshop area.
Contrary to the conclusion suggested by the outcome of historical
research, the artefact assemblage at Chinaman's Well contains nothing to
suggest the site was abandoned significantly earlier than Chinaman's
Garden Well. It is worthwhile also noting that the historical record contains
nothing conclusive in this regard, it being but supposed that Chinaman's
Well was abandoned at about the time it was acquired by the lessee of
Mount Poole (Sturt's Depot Glen) Station. Chinaman's Well is well
removed from present roads, and the historical research suggests that it
has been for many years. It is, however, located adjacent to one of the
travelling stock routes, and could therefore have been visited quite
frequently by drovers and other pastoral employees. It is sufficiently
remote from the road between Milparinka and Tibooburra to be inoffensive.
It has an artefact assemblage which contains a number of items possibly
associated with gambling, and it has what are thought to be the ruins of a
number of small mud huts. But even if the assemblage is disturbed, it does
not suggest the presence of more than one or two Chinese. The residents
appear to have worn clothes which were less suited to gardening than to
leisure. They had items in their possession which related much more
clearly to gambling and entertainment than did the residents of the other
site. There is a complete silence on the subject of Chinaman's Well in a
very conservatively managed local press. Perhaps Chinaman's Well was
the site of a place of entertainment of some description. I suggest the site
was eventually abandoned under duress. Although the archaeological
record is confused, that many items of use, such as drills and clothing
were left behind supports the proposition. But there is no other evidence.
9.2.2 Chinaman's Garden Well
Chinaman's Garden Well has proven the most valuable for analytical
purposes of the sites under consideration. Substantial damage was
probably inflicted upon the site subsequent to dedication of the well for
town water supply purposes in 1906, but it seems this damage was limited
to the vicinity of the well itself. There was no surface scatter of artefacts