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also clearly used by the residents, but whether this is a reflection of an
addiction or of its use for medicinal and pain-killing purposes has not been
resolved.
9.5 Synthesis
The outcome of my research does show that the community at Milparinka
lacked cohesion in the pursuit of activities such as the production and
distribution of foodstuffs, the control and supply of water, and in the use of
communal facilities. The community was unable to sustain itself and did
not expand into a truly "urban" form. I have concluded that a number of
factors led to the demise of Milparinka. Besides the lack of cohesion, two
are outstanding. The first was the general economic collapse of the early
1890s, and its accompanying bank failures. This contributed to the town's
failure to build a hospital, and saw the closure of several businesses,
probably including the stores operated by T. W. Chambers, Heuzenroder,
Geyer, and Bigmore. The second destructive influence was the First
World War, which saw the young men who were the town's future
business proprietors enlist en-masse. Many of these did not return to the
town. The last Chinese death probably coincided with the middle years of
the First World War. The demise of the Chinese gardeners compounded
the impact of the War upon Milparinka. Their well fell into disrepair,
perhaps because 'the Government' or the 'Public Watering Places Branch'
'wouldn't do anything about it'. The Chinese had managed without
Government help...
The Chinese at Milparinka created a market niche for themselves and
protected it quite successfully for perhaps thirty-five years. They were an
ageing remnant of those Chinese who came to Australia to seek their
fortune on the goldfields. As the Chinese at the gardens died and were
buried in the south-west corner of Milparinka cemetery, lack of recruitment
meant the collapse of their enterprise.