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5.0.1 Overview of Early Development
The business community at Milparinka consisted of three or four general
stores, three or four hotels, and a number of smaller enterprises, but
changes to ownership, business failures and restructuring gives the
impression of a much larger town. Supporting the business community for
most of the history being considered by my research were perhaps fifty
other town residents, people from surrounding stations, shearers, miners
at Mount Browne, Bendigo, and Warratta, government officials, and
through passengers on the stage coaches.
The records of the New South Wales Post Office prOVide the first
indication of permanent structures at Milparinka. These date from 7 June
1881 when John Mclndoe wrote seeking appointment as postmaster, and
stated that he was 'in occupation of the only substantial premises on the
goldfield' (NSWP02). The same records indicate (27 June 1881), that
there were 'three stores, and one stone building for a public house' at
Milparinka. There is no firm record as to the location of these.
The township was surveyed in early 1883, and with the first sale of
allotments in October 1883 formal records of town land ownership were
created (NSWRG1). A summary of recorded land dealings from 1883 to
1983 forms Appendix C, while the grandiose town plan which resulted from
the survey forms Map 8.
5.1 General Storekeepers
5.1.1 Initial Storekeepers
The names of several storekeepers associated with Milparinka have been
identified, but ownership of the earliest stores at Milparinka is not clear.
Murphy refers to Cramsie Bowden & Co., and the records of the
Commercial Banking Company suggest WaIter Sully, who had an account
with their Wilcannia Branch between September and December 1881, was
then also a storekeeper at Milparinka (NAB2).
In a recent book on the life of Sidney Kidman (Bowen,1987), it is
suggested that Kidman set up the first store at Tibooburra, making
repeated trips with provisions from Wilcannia. In connection with this store
Kidman recalled:
"The place was desperate for water but there was a place known as
Chinaman's Well which was of great benefit at the height of the Mount
Browne gold boom. Everyone lived on that water. It was a wonderful well
around which Chinese gardeners had about an acre and a half under
vegetables which they sold to the diggers." (Bowen, 1987:36)