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By the time Mr. Warden King, who replaced Mr.Slee in February 1882,
prepared his report for the 1882 calendar year, Milparinka comprised 'a
population of about 100...three large and substantial stone hotels and one
built of iron, three mercantile establishments, one bank (Commercial
Banking Company), police office and courthouse, and Warden's office.' Mr.
Warden King also reported that Mount Browne was 'now nearly
abandoned, there being only one (town) allotment occupied' and
mentioned briefly a new township called Albert. At Albert, located adjacent
to the Warratta Creek quartz reefs, one store had been constructed. This
was owned by Bignal and Young, a South Australian firm. (Mines,1882:98)
The Warden's report for 1881 had noted Milparinka's location 'on high
ground on an open plain' and expressed the opinion that it would be
possible to 'secure a permanent supply of surface water' by the
construction of a dam below the township, following which 'Milparinka
would undoubtedly become a great depot in Central Australia' (Mines
1881:108). The same report noted that Tibooburra had no source of
reliable water, the Government well at fifty feet haVing struck only a little
brackish water. A year later the Warden reported the Government well at
Tibooburra had been abandoned, and another, about a mile from town had
struck a flow of good water, equal to about 100 gallons in twenty-four
hours. This, however, was an extremely meagre supply, and it was
necessary to augment it from tanks and 'a waterhole twenty-five miles
distant'.
4.1.5 Availability of Store and Supplies
Despite the presence of storekeepers at Mount Browne, Milparinka, Albert,
and further north at Tibooburra, shortages of supplies were a recurring
problem on the goldfield during the 1881 and 1882. In part this was due to
the difficulties inherent in traversing the route from Wilcannia to the
diggings, but also simply a result of the extreme isolation of the goldfield.
The large stores at Wilcannia, including W.C.Palmer & Co., and Cramsie
Bowden and Woodfall, sent teams laden with supplies to the goldfield
almost from the beginning. However, by mid-year in both 1881 and 1882
travel along the road from Wilcannia was not feasible for teams of either
horses or bullocks. As a result, the population on the Albert Goldfield, as
reported by the Warden was reduced to a diet consisting solely of mutton
and 'wild spinach'. Several reports survive of extreme actions taken by the
diggers in obtaining flour when it did arrive, but the most interesting
solution found to the difficulty of supply was the use of camels. Gerritsen
(n.d. p 26) suggests camels were first used in 1882, arriving at Milparinka
in April of that year, having been 'sent at the request of the New South
Wales Government, coming from Thomas Elder's Beltana run laden with
supplies from Farina and Port Augusta' 'to relieve the near famine