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.