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SEPTEMBER NEWSLETTER 2003 WEB SITE Thanks
to Brian Dieckmann we now have our own web site http://home.vicnet.net.au/~newdhs/.
Brian has been monitoring its popularity and the first week there were 159
visits made, the second week 63 and the third week 21. We have had 2 new members
join us and received a request for research. FAMILY HISTORY EXPO
AT BALLARAT Central
Highlands Historical Association are again holding their annual event on October
4th and 5th at ACU Aquinas Campus, 1200 Mair St Ballarat,
10 am – 4 pm. The theme this year is Batons, Bayonets and Bushrangers,
celebrating 150 years of Police work in Victoria. A lecture by Chief Inspector
Ralph Stavely: Police Historian will be held on Friday rd at 8 pm and there will
be lectures morning and afternoon on both days. Our Society is in the process of
assembling a display about the police presence in Newstead. We have a photo of
Harry Sainsbury in his uniform and will contrast that with a photo of Grant
McDonald, our present Policeman. We are fortunate enough to have several copies
of old Police Gazettes found in the ceiling of the old Police Station. These
date back to 1858 and in that particular Gazette they are offering £100 reward
and a free pardon to an accomplice connected to the Mia Mia murder. The occasion
is very popular and attracts many exhibitors and visitors researching their
ancestors and admiring the displays. EXCURSION Quite
a few people took advantage of the chance to see Mopoke Gully and Yapeen with
Max Kay as our leader. For me the highlights were entering the amazing
Tyzack’s store, seeing the old stone houses and being shown the remains of the
old water wheel. This has whetted our appetite for the November excursion when
Max will take us around the flats at Guildford. This was the place where many
Chinese looked for gold and where Mr Wally Maple sluiced. According to Max,
Wally was lured to Victoria for the better purses for foot running and it was
here that he trained ‘Goldie’ Heath who won the 1933 Stawell Gift. Before
that, however we have an October excursion where we will travel along the
Guildford road to establish just where the 2 dredges worked. We will have photos
and information about them, see what the land looks like, and the course of the
river and imagine if we can, what it would have been like prior to dredging. We
leave from the courthouse on October 13th at 1.30 pm. THE PRECIPICE At
our last visit we were given a phone number of the people who own this property.
Since then, we have contacted them. They have been intrigued by the names carved
in the rocks and are keen to combine with us for another visit. We will arrange
this for the weekend of October 25th & 26th. If you
missed this excursion or would like another visit, ring me, Dawn Angliss 03
54762006 just prior to that weekend and I will be able to give you the details. THE PARTY What
a lovely night! We are so lucky to have a venue like our courthouse and to see
it with the open fire, flowers, candles, food and drink is a celebration of that
fact. This time we invited the members of the steering committee of ‘Newstead
Remembers’ and they certainly enlivened the evening – even suggesting
another “Newstead Remembers’! Some
of the information we have found for our display in Ballarat…….. EXTRACTS FROM THE POLICE GAZETTE MAY 20 1858 “Notice
to applicants for employment in the Police Force must attend with an application
in their own handwriting, and such testimonials as they may have, at the Police
Depot, at Richmond, at 9Nine am, on Mondays where, if they are considered
suitable, they are engaged.” “HOUSEBREAKING, AND STEALING FROM DWELLING-HOUSES John
Holt is charged on warrant granted at Melbourne with feloniously stealing on the
12th, from the house of Mrs Rishton, corner of Moor and Smith
Streets, Collingwood, 2 watches, one of which has since been recovered. The
offender is twenty- five years of age, 5 feet 2 or 3 inches high, wore when last
seen a blue pilot coat and moleskin trousers, and had with him a large kangaroo
dog which answers to the name of “Tiger”. A
warrant has been granted at Ballaarat for the arrest of Burgoyne, for
feloniously stealing on the 14th instant, a circular protractor and a
level, since recovered. Burgoyne is 27 years of age, 5 feet 7½ inches high,
fair hair and whiskers, medium build, pale complexion, full round face, of
respectable appearance, wore a cabbage-tree hat, black cloth coat and cord
trousers, formerly in the Public Works Department.” “MURDER ONE
HUNDRED POUNDS REWARD AND FREE PARDON TO AN ACCOMPLICE Whereas
on the evening of Saturday, the 9th of January inst. The remains of a
murdered man were found in a water-hole on the Mia Mia Creek, Newstead, near Castlemaine, at a spot distant
about 25 yards from the main road leading to Carisbrook: Notice is hereby given
that a reward of One hundred pounds will be paid to any person giving such
information as will lead to the apprehension and conviction of the person or
persons who committed the said murder….. By His Excellency’s Command WILLIAM C HAINES PARTICULARS
–Body found in a water-hole on the Mia Mia Creek on Saturday evening, the 9th
inst with 6 deep wounds on the top of the skull as if done with a pick, the left
cheek also being smashed. From the position of the body it appears that after
the man was murdered the body was put in a sack, which was then thrown into the
water-hole…. The body appears to have been in the water for 4 or 5 months at
least. Description-
Dark brown hair, about 5 feet 6 or 7 inches high, about 28 or 30 years of age. Dress-Blue
under striped cotton shirt, blue serge shirt, blue Guernsey shirt, white cotton
drawers, worsted cord trousers, red cotton pocket handkerchief with white spots
on it in the shape of shamrock leaves.” *************************************************************************** Our
index of newspapers shows in the Mount Alexander Mail…. 25.2.1870
George Dyer confessed murderer of Wilson Mia Mia Newstead. One time storeman of
E B Sinclair of Pennyweight Flat had the £100 reward staring him in the face. 7.1.1871
George Dyer in court 26.4.1871
George Dyer guilty of manslaughter – 8 years on the road of the colony
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©2004 Newstead & District Historical Society Web Design: Brian
Dieckmann
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Page last updated: 20 December 2008