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The Bark Huts settlement on Liverpool Road was briefly famous during April 1852 when gold was ‘discovered’ in the chain of ponds under the bridge over Cooks River. Local butcher, John Smith was reported to have found specks of gold less than 50 yards from the Bark Huts Inn whose publican was George Davis. There was much excitement throughout Sydney, the population already gold mad following the discovery of gold near Bathurst in February 1851. Reports of the Bark Huts gold find were initially backed by respected Sydney citizens, including auctioneer, William Gosling Moore and publican of the Cricketers’ Arms Hotel in Pitt Street, Mr Edward Borton. Indeed, W.G. Moore, in a letter to the Sydney Morning Herald, claimed the find as ‘a positive fact’ and that the gold discovered by John Smith was on display at the Cricketers’ Arms Hotel.[1]
Cooks River Bridge, Enfield, 1939, the site of the supposed gold discovery. Courtesy Museums of History NSW
Gold prospectors and dubious reporters flocked to the site, which was basically a chain of ponds, along Liverpool Road during the next few days.
‘Horses, gigs and cabs were much in requisition, but some zealous votaries trudged on foot to the newly discovered diggings, those who had brought implements with them, carefully concealing them on their return.’[2]
There was even a suggestion that the Governor-General Sir Charles FitzRoy would visit and residents met on 23 April to prepare an address of welcome.
‘Information having been received by the miners of the Bark Huts gold field that the Governor-General intended on an early day to honour that important auriferous district with his august presence, a public meeting was held at Davis’s Coffee House, on Friday last, to make arrangements for His Excellency’s reception. The chair on the important occasion was ably filled by the celebrated discoverer of the district, Gosling More [sic], Esq.’ [3]
Having already received unfavourable attention in the press, Edgar Chalker Esq. addressed the animated meeting with the following words:
‘Unprincipled men had calumniated their noble district (hear hear). The fine body of men around him had been much abused; their actions had been misrepresented, and their characters traduced. (Cheers). But the world would now see they were not unworthy of the consideration and regard of Sir Charles Fitz Roy (tremendous cheering). That great moralist and enlightened ruler was coming among them to shed upon them the light of his benignant countenance; and the glorious event would be a triumphant vindication of the Liverpool Road Duck Pond.’[4]
Aerial photo of Enfield by Milton Kent showing the Cooks River and Liverpool Road, 1923. Courtesy State Library of NSW
However the story was quickly labelled a hoax, fortunately before the visit of the Governor-General. One reporter noted that ‘a more unlikely place for a gold mine then these same “Bark Hut Diggings” could scarcely be imagined.’ [5]
Gold dealer, Thomas Hale ventured out to Bark Huts, writing to the Sydney Morning Herald to say that ‘I have left the new gold field to more successful diggers than I am, only surmising that Victoria need not dread the Bark Huts’ gold field.’[6]
Another journalist reported that:
‘Mr Moore had evidently been imposed upon, and the only person who derived any advantage from these newly discovered “diggings” was the landlord of a public house about fifty yards from the spot where the gold was said to have been discovered, whose cellars were nearly emptied by the thirsty souls who had made a pilgrimage to this new El Dorado.’[7]
Moore and Borton again wrote to the Sydney Morning Herald, vexed at the publicity and their gullibility.
Sydney Morning Herald 26 April 1852 p.2 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/12936257
Was the whole ruse dreamed up by the publican, George Davis and the butcher, John Smith to attract visitors to the hotel? John Smith was already known to Edward Borton who had trusted his account when presented with gold flecks supposedly found at Bark Huts. We will never know for certain but the story certainly put the Bark Huts settlement firmly on the map - however fleetingly.
By J.J. MacRitchie
Local Studies Advisor
References
[1] Sydney Morning Herald 21 April 1852 p.3 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/12936119
[2] Empire 22 April 1852 p.2 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/60129665
[3] Empire 26 April 1852 p.2 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/60129769
[4] Empire 26 April 1852 p.2 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/60129769
[5] The Argus (Melbourne) 30 April 1852 p.2 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/4784724
[6] Sydney Morning Herald 22 April 1852 p.2 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/12936144
[7] The People’s Advocate and New South Wales Vindicator 24 April 1852 p.14 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/251531795/27925510