Researching your mining ancestors –
Thinking outside the square
Hill End & Tambaroora Gathering Group
Select resource list prepared by Philippa Garnsey from Society of Australian Genealogists,
& Lorraine Purcell, Hill End & Tambaroora Gathering Group updated August 2016
Please note that some websites are subscription based.
Arrivals in the colony:
Ships’ deserters, 1852-1900, including stragglers, strays and absentees from H.M. ships / by J. Melton.
The deserters: military and naval deserters as settlers in Australia and New Zealand, 1800-1865 / by Rae Sexton.
General Selection of Books (some have SAG library catalogue call numbers however most should be available through Inter Library Loan from your local library)
The diggers from China: the story of Chinese on the goldfields / by Jean Gittins. Call No: A3/20/96
Gold fever: the Australian goldfields 1851 to the 1890s / edited by Nancy Keesing. Call No: A3/27/6
Life on the Australian goldfields / by Derrick I. Stone and Sue Mackinnon. Call No: A3/27/7
The miner’s right: a tale of the Australian goldfields / by Rolf Boldrewood. (Facsimile ed.) A3/27/9
The golden south: a history of the Araluen, Bell’s Creek and Major’s Creek gold fields / Barry McGowan. B3/27/10
Gold and water: a history of Sofala and the Turon goldfield / by Matthew Higgins. Call No: B4.795/1/5
McGowan, Barry Fool’s gold: myths and legends of gold seeking in Australia. Lothian Books, Sydney, 2006.
McGowan, Barry Dust and dreams: mining communities in south-east New South Wales. UNSW Press, Sydney, 2010.
McGowan, Barry Lost mines revisited: historic mining communities of the Monaro, Southern Tablelands, and South West Slopes Districts of New South Wales. B. McGowan, Canberra, 1996.
McGowan, Barry Bungonia to Braidwood: an historical and archaeological account of the Shoalhaven and Mongarlowe goldfields. B. McGowan, Canberra, 1996.
Index to miscellaneous records relating to the goldfields of NSW: Volumes 1-5 (CD format) compiled by Kaye Vernon and Billie Jacobsen, Call No: B8/12/CD.2p Searchable by surname, subject or title of document
Hill End & Tambaroora specific books
Indexes for many of these publications are available online on this website)
(Those marked with an * includes numerous lists of names of families and individuals associated with the Hill End & Tambaroora area.)
Adams, Peter Ore What! A portrait of the people of Hill End. Lettuce Spray Productions, Katoomba, 2010. *
Brooks, Beatrice and Purcell, Lorraine. Golden Journeys – Visits to the Western Goldfields of New South Wales 1852 – 59. Hill End & Tambaroora Gathering Group, Carlton NSW 2012. Index available online
Burke, Keast, Gold and Silver: An Album of Hill End and Gulgong. Photographs from the Holtermann Collection, Heinemann, Melbourne, 1973.
Buscombe, Eve The Wattle Flat goldfields : a documentary survey of life at Wattle Flat past and present (1st ed). Eureka Research, Sydney, 1983. (Available online)
Cook, Kerrin & Garvey, Daniel, The Glint of Gold: a History and Tourist Guide of the Gold Fields of the Central West of New South Wales, Pymble NSW, Genlin Investments, 1999.
Drinkwater, Malcolm The German-Australian called Holtermann = Ein Deutsch-Australier namens Holtermann (1st ed). M. Drinkwater, Sydney, NSW, Australia, 1985. Index available online
Drinkwater, Malcolm, Hill End Gold, M. Drinkwater, Sydney, 1982. (2nd edition 2013)
Drinkwater, Malcolm, Hill End Hearsay, to the best of my memory. Hill End 2010. (2nd edition 2013)
Friend, Donald, A collection of Hillendiana: Comprising vast numbers of fact & a considerable amount of fiction concerning the goldfield of Hillend and environs, with the result of many years of intensive and arduous historical research, Ure Smith, Sydney 1956. Index available online
Gipps, F.B. and Campbell, W., Description of Wattle Flat gold field, western district, N.S. Wales / by F.B. Gipps & W. Campbell. Sydney, J. A. Engel, “Guttenberg” Printing Office, 1873. Available online
Goodwin, Bruce, Gold and People: Recollections of Hill End 1920s to 1960s, Bruce Goodwin, Frenchs Forest, NSW 1992. Book & Index available online
Goodwin, Bruce, Lace and Gold Glebe, Bookhouse, 2000.
Hammond, Mark J., Remembered with Pride: The Recollections of an Australian Gold-digger, Brian Hodge (ed.), Cambaroora Star Publications and Ashfield Municipal Council, Penshurst, NSW 1988.
Hodge, Brian, Valleys of Gold: The Goldfields Story, 1851-1861, Book 1, Cambaroora Star Publications, Penshurst, NSW, 1976*. Index available online
Hodge, Brian, Frontiers of Gold: The Goldfields Story, 1851-61, Book 2, Cambaroora Star Publications, Penshurst, NSW 1979*. Index available online
Hodge, Brian, Sunset of Gold: Sofala and Wattle Flat, 1860-1914, Cambaroora Star Publications, Hill End 1998.
Hodge, Brian, Major Controversies of the Australian Goldrush, Cambaroora Star Publications, Hill End 2003.
Hodge, Brian, Golden Hill End, Cambaroora Star Publications, Hill End, 2009.
Hodge, Harry and Hodge, Errol A guide to historic Hill End and its environs (Rev. ed. / by Errol Hodge). Hill End Publications, St. Ives, N.S.W, 1978.
Hodge, Harry (and Errol Hodge), The Hill End Story. Book 1: A history of the Hill End-Tambaroora Goldfield, 3rd edn, Hill End Publications, Toorak, Vic., 1986 [1964]* Index available online
Hodge, Harry (and Errol Hodge), The Hill End Story. Book 2: A History of the Hill-End Tambaroora Goldfield, 3rd edn, Hill End Publications, St Ives, NSW, 1980 [1965]*
Hodge, Harry, The Hill End Story. Book 3: memories and Vignettes, 3rd edn, Hill End Publications, Toorak, Vic., 1987 [1972]* Index available online
Howard, A. E. Born on the Hill End Goldfields, Sydney 1987. Index available online
Jinks, Brian, Bayliss, Charles, 1850-1897, Merlin, Beaufoy, ca. 1830-1873 and Holtermann Collection, Goldfields life : in the photographs of Beaufoy Merlin and Charles Bayliss (usually called the Holtermann Collection). B. Jinks, Gulgong, N.S.W, 2005.
Mayne, Alan, Hill End: An Historic Australian Goldfields Landscape, Carlton, Melbourne University Press, 2003.
Neary, Henry H, Ghosts of the goldfields: pioneer diggers and settlers on the Turon : a book of reminiscences (Rev). [Mitchell College of Advanced Education], Bathurst, N.S.W, 1983. Index available online
Pearce, Joyce Gold Nuggets Galore at Sofala from 1851. Bathurst, N.S.W., reprinted 1982. Index available online
Purcell, Lorraine The Miners’ Friend, Ludwig Hugo (Louis) Beyers. HEATGG, Carlton NSW 2010.
Purcell, Lorraine & Maris, Bill & Betty. Hill End & Tambaroora Pioneer Register to 1920. HEATGG, Carlton NSW, 2006*
Purcell, Lorraine & Members of the Hill End & Tambaroora Gathering Group Hill End Histories & Tambaroora Tales. HEATGG Carlton NSW 2009.
Rule, John The Cradle of a Nation: The truth about Ophir’s Gold discovery in 1851. Yagoona, N.S.W. 1979. Index available online
Shead, Daphne and Lorraine Purcell Hill End Heroines & Tambaroora Treasures, HEATGG Carlton NSW 2010.*
Stone, Douglas M and Outdoor Press Gold & relic sites. Hill End goldfield metal detecting map with notes. Outdoor Press, Euroa, Vic, 2012.
Stone, Douglas M and Outdoor Press Gold & relic sites. Sofala-Wattle Flat goldfield metal detecting map with notes. Outdoor Press, Euroa, Vic, 2012.
Wood, Helen and Purcell, Lorraine, (editor.) Golden diggers: the Hill End & Tambaroora district’s contribution to the First World War. Carlton, NSW Hill End & Tambaroora Gathering Group, 2015. *
Links to other Hill End & Tambaroora specific websites
Hill End & Tambaroora Gathering Group
Births, Deaths & Marriages
BDM for Bathurst areas
Foley, Lynne (2000). Bathurst free press and mining journal 1850-1860: births, deaths, marriages, funerals, selected notices and inquests. L. Foley, [Cooks Hill, N.S.W.]
Rod & Wendy Gow early newspaper indexes (Includes Bathurst Free Press 1850-51)
Births:
Church records
Hill End Baptisms and Marriages, Methodist from 1873 (SAG)
Sofala Catholic Parish Registers, commence in early 1850s (SAG)
Bathurst Catholic Parish Register Includes Gulgong & Sofala. (SAG)
Bathurst Anglican Church Registers. (also Wesley Methodist & Presbyterian available. (SAG)
Molong Catholic Parish Registers, CD (SAG)
Sydney Benevolent Society Index to Admissions and discharges
Marriages:
Church records & parish registers (see births)
When marriages go wrong:
State Records NSW Divorce files
Deaths & Burials:
Civil registration & Parish registers (see births)
State Records NSW Child Care & Protection Records
NSW Registers of Coroners’ Inquests
State Records NSW Deceased Estate Files
How to Locate Australian Wills
Tambaroora General Cemetery Headstone records
Tambaroora Catholic Cemetery headstone records.
Sickness & Health, Hospitals etc
Asylum records http://www.coraweb.com.au/asylum.htm
State Records NSW Asylum records
Other material
NSW Census information for Hill End etc
Hill End specific electoral rolls
Grevilles Post Office Directory for 1872
Grevilles Hill End Post Office Directory 1872
Grevilles Tambaroora Post Office Directory 1872
Bailliere’s Post Office Directory of NSW 1867 (Free download Google books)
Sands Directories of Sydney & NSW
Perkin’s Papers, Tumut & Adelong, Monaro & District also index,
John Arthur Perkins – Monaro District items, 1823-1948, being a chronological collection of references with ‘Index 1823-1918’, compiled by John Arthur Perkins, ca.1950
John Arthur Perkins – Tumut and Adelong, 1824-1939, being a chronological collection of references compiled by John Arthur Perkins, ca.1945 Call number A 3621 (microfilm)
Certificates of Naturalisation
State Records of NSW
State Records Gold Mining Guide
Registers of auriferous (gold) leases, 1874-1953
Joan Reese – Colonial Secretary’s correspondence: Index to convicts and others 1826-94
[Fiche 5557-5559; 5736-5738; 5907-5909; 5955-5957; 5966-5968; 6069-6071, 6127-6129, 6433-6435, 6448-6450, 6453-6455] Available as microfiche at various libraries and family history groups.
Maps
State Records – Surveyor General’s Crown Plans, 1792-1886
NSW Dept of Trade & Investment Digs database
Land & property Information – Historical Land Records Viewer
Court Records & Police Gazettes
Braidwood Gaol Entrance Book 1856-1899
State Records NSW Gaol records
State Library of NSW
SL NSW Holtermann Collection (Hill End)
SL NSW Manuscripts Collection
Occupations
State Records NSW- Publicans Licenses
Women of Vision – ordinary women –Extraordinary lives. Index & history of nuns of the Catholic Church in Australia 1838-1918 –
Australian Medical Pioneer’s Index
Hicks, Shauna Tracing mining ancestors: a brief guide to resources in Australia and New Zealand. St Agnes, SA Unlock the Past, 2014.
Women
Noeline Kyle’s website has links and information about researching women
NSW State Records Teachers rolls
Newspapers
Examples of goldfield newspapers on Trove
Bathurst Advocate (NSW: 1848 – 1849)
Bathurst Free Press (NSW: 1849 – 1851)
Bathurst Free Press and Mining Journal (NSW: 1851 – 1904)
Braidwood Dispatch and Mining Journal (NSW: 1888 – 1954)
Hill End & Tambaroora Times and Miners Advocate (1871 – 1875) microfilm at the SLNSW (not online)
General information websites
eGold Electronic Encyclopedia of Gold in Australia
Timeline of the NSW goldrushes
Researching Hill End & Tambaroora on the web
There are a number of good sites with information on Hill End, Tambaroora and the surrounding areas. As a general guide use a well-known search engine such as Google or Trove and search on “Hill End” and “Tambaroora” as a search terms. Don’t forget to use inverted commas around the search term “Hill End” to just get material relating to this place. Not putting these in will result in a search for both the terms “hill” and “end” and will result in entries not necessarily relevant to your search.
Other
Coraweb – links to hundreds of Australian websites.
Family History Groups websites (full contact details etc available on Coraweb
Further enquiries
Lorraine Purcell
(02) 95870352
0408117784
July 2016