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the high cost of transporting materials and machinery would mean 'sound
economy and sound practical experience must be resorted to make these
so far promising quartz-veins payable ventures for those who invest capital
in them.' (Mines,1881:108)
A year later, by which time the Warratta Creek locality had become known
as 'The Reefs', the Warden again expressed the opinion that 'quartz
crushing on this field will meet with two very serious drawbacks, viz.,
scarcity of wood and water'. He also stated that although two of the three
companies which were active at 'The Reefs' had obtained delivery of
crushing machinery, two of these had yet to erect the same.
4.1.4 Establishment of Service Centres
Despite the shortage of water a rough township had formed at Mount
Browne in early March 1881, comprising four shanties, a general store, two
butcher's shops, a blacksmith, and a laundry. Flour cost 70/- a bag, tea 3/6
a pound, meat 6d per pound, sheep 16/- each.(The Wilcannia Times,
March 10, 1881:2). At much the same time a report in the Sydney Morning
Herald ( March 12, 1881) attributed to the Wilcannia Western Grazier
indicated that W.C.Palmer & Co of Wilcannia had despatched the first
teams well provided with rations.
When the water ran out at Mount Browne towards the end of March, the
population moved largely to a small waterhole about five miles to the north,
leaving only those who had 'conserved their water in iron tanks' on the
Mount Browne claims. The waterhole to which the population moved
contained only nine inches of water, and when that was exhausted a
further move took place, south-east from Mount Browne to the Gorge
waterhole. The Gorge waterhole also became exhausted within eight days,
and the population converged on Milparinka waterhole, which was then
seven feet deep.
There is no record of the number of stores or shantys present at Milparinka
waterhole in April 1881, although stores and shantys may have been
present by the end of March when the Age correspondent reported a
population of six hundred at Evelyn Creek. A book written primarily about
the White Cliffs opal field throws a little light on the subject, and the
records of the Commercial Banking Company of Sydney and other banks
also assist to a small extent.
In 'They Struck Opal" (Murphy, n.d.) in a chapter written about a visit to the
Mount Brown(e) field in 'early 1881' reference is made to Milparinka as 'a
small settlement of a few tents' at a time when 'there were over 1000
starving men on the field.' This, if the account is accurate, would date the
visit to around the same time as the visits by the Age and Sydney Morning
Herald correspondents, and although there is no certainty that the account
does not draw for detail upon those records and the Wilcannia Times,
sufficient corroborating information is provided to lend considerable
credence to Murphy's account.