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THE END OF THE STORY The gold was collected from the South Australians and receipts issued. The return journey, with the
laden cart, took twelve days and arrived in Adelaide on 19th March 1852 to an enthusiastic
welcome. Thus South Australia was rescued from bankruptcy.
It has been difficult to trace the original path that was taken by the Gold Escort Party because the
route varied depending on the weather. This worked to the advantage of the brave Gold Escort
Party. If they did not follow the same route every time, there was less chance of being attacked by
bushrangers.
Between Feb 10, 1852 and Dec 21, 1853, eighteen successful gold escorts were conducted. A total
of 328,509 ounces of gold valued at over 1.5 million pounds was safely delivered back to Adelaide
without any losses. The escort was then ordered to cease as alternative means had become
available.
Re-enactment of the Tolmer Gold Escort at Bordertown
26th April 2003
BORDERTOWN The township, “near the border”, was surveyed by John McLaren beside Scott’s Woolshed in the
winter of 1852. The 120 allotments were bounded by North, South, East and West Terraces. They
were offered for sale in Adelaide on 28th August 1852. Only ten were sold on this occassion.
This township was first known as “a border town”, later Border Town and much later it officially
became Bordertown. The slab building that was erected here as the Gold Escort halfway depot,
was taken over by the first two permanent police troopers appointed to the Tatiara in 1854. It has
been replaced several times but there has been a police presence near this site ever since. The
Morning Loaf Bakery was built over an old police station that can still be seen from within the
bakery. The male toilet block at the rear is the former gaol.
************************** This brochure was an initiative of the Tatiara Tourism Group. The main source of information was the book “All
in the Line of Duty” written by Heather Parker in 1971. This book is available from the Bordertown Visitor
Information Centre.
GOLD ESCORT ROUTE
‘The beginning of Bordertown’
ALEXANDER TOLMER was born in England in 1815. He enlisted in the British
Legion at a young age. He was a good cavalry man and fought in the
Spanish–Portuguese War where he was seriously wounded in 1833.
He arrived in SA in 1840 and soon became Inspector of Police and given the
task of organising the mounted branch. In 1848, he rode along the Coorong
to open up a mail route for the residents of the South East of SA.
By 1851 the population of Adelaide had grown to over 14,500. It was a busy
business centre with many merchants, store – keepers and three banks.
In 1851 GOLD was discovered in Clunes, Victoria and many other fields were
discovered soon after. Gold Fever struck SA – everyone wanted to be part of the action. Jobs were
abandoned, small businesses closed, farms were deserted. There was a rush on the banks for funds.
By March 1852, one third of the adult male population had left for the gold fields. Women and
children were left with no money. Farmers and merchants had no employees. The SA Government
was running very short of funds! A bill to enable the banks to temporarily issue notes in exchange
for gold bullion at a fixed rate was rapidly drafted and passed. However the gold being mined by
SA diggers had almost never found its way back to SA.
South Australians were travelling to the gold fields via Wellington and the coastal Coorong route.
Alexander Tolmer, now acting SA Police Commissioner suggested that a guarded police escort
could travel a more direct route and bring the gold home. This involved traversing a huge expanse
of uncharted country known as “The Hundred Mile Scrub” or “The Ninety Mile Desert”. This was dry,
thick with scrub, sandy and had no known water supply. The “Tatiara”, settled in 1846, was a stretch
of “Good Country” the other side of this barrier, but still sparsely populated.
A survey party led by the Deputy Surveyor General John McLaren was ordered to explore and
sketch the direct road between Wellington and Mt Alexander and sink wells to a moderate depth.
He was later instructed to confer with Tolmer to mark out a suitable site for a township “near the
border”.
Alexander Tolmer left Adelaide on horseback on February 10,
1852 with two constables. He hired a native guide at
Wellington to guide him across the uncharted country to the
Tatiara. Constable Rowe set off for the goldfields via the
Coorong with the police cart and was later joined by three
constables from along this route. Tolmer crossed the River
Murray by ferry at Wellington and travelled towards what is
now Cooke’s Plains.
Gold Escort Marker near Kongal Springs
GOLD ESCORT MAP
Markers have been placed along the Gold Escort Route where Commissioner Tolmer made note of the surrounding land and water.
MARKER A: Hawk’s Nest
Originally it was difficult to sink a well here because of sheet
rock.
MARKER B: Binnie’s Well
Tolmer camped here the first night. There were shea oaks,
honeysuckle and a variety of shrubs with plenty of grass and a
good supply of water.
MARKER C: Cold and Wet
They began the second day wet through because of drizzling
rain all night. They soon came to more water and saw a
remarkable granite outcrop from here, now known as Tolmer
Rocks or was it Boothby Rocks?
MARKER D: Reedy Well
A good spring of water in a grassed flat where he rested the
horses at mid day on the second day.
MARKER E: Tintinara Homestead
He noticed some small flats of good rich loamy soil here, very
different from the surrounding sandy country.
MARKER F: Two Wells
At the end of the second day they camped at a place to the
west of the present town of Keith. Wild dogs disturbed their
sleep at night and chewed the horses tether ropes.
MARKER G: Mount Monster
On the third day they headed towards a conspicuous hill.
They did not camp here because the trail went north or south
of this landmark depending on the season. Tolmer noted that
it was a good resting place because of the natural spring and
feed for the horses.
MARKER H: Kongal Springs
After travelling east for some hours they came to a natural
spring where John Binnie, of Wirrega Station had an outstation
“Binnie’s Scrub Hut”. There was an abundance of grass and
water. This was a short stop.
MARKER J: Tatiara Creek, Bordertown
Scott’s Woolshed was situated on the banks of Tatiara
Creek where permanent waterholes were noted. They
camped the third night here. One of the original beams
from this magnificent structure is now on display across
the road at the Woolshed Inn. A site was chosen nearby
to establish a half way depot for the Gold Escort where
troopers would rest and change over. The next day they
travelled on towards the border.
MARKER K: South Australia/Victoria Border
They were then leaving the Tatiara and travelling towards
what is now Kaniva. After travelling for another four days
they reached the gold fields of Mt Alexander, where most
of the South Australians were camped.
MARKER I: Cannawigra
A station homestead established by Charles Scott near the
Cannawigra Swamp where they stopped for dinner. After
dinner they continued 14kms east to the station woolshed.
This map was based on one supplied
by the Mitsubishi Four Wheel Drive
Club, of Adelaide.
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