William Coomber
and an introduction to the Welcome Inn of 1857
© Copyright Geoffrey Svenson 2022
last updated 2nd November 2023
In the Colony of New South Wales persons wishing to retail spirituous liquors in quantities less than two gallons were required to hold a Publican’s license. These licenses were issued for a financial year – that is, from 1st July until 30th June of the following year, and applicants were required to appear at a “Licensing Meeting” and to demonstrate that they were fit and proper persons to hold such a license. They were also required to present two sureties. The sureties each entered into a bond of £50-0-0 which would be forfeited in the event that the licensed person failed in his obligations. These meetings were called Annual Licensing Meetings, and were held during April of each year.
On 21st April, 1857 William Coomber had appeared before the magistrates presiding over a Licensing Meeting in Orange, but his application for a publican’s license was refused “on the grounds of his unconquerable drinking propensity” [i]. Undeterred, William Coomber announced the opening of his new house – the Welcome Inn – just six months later, on 14th October 1857 [ii] and got his license the following year.
At about the same time as Coomber announced the Welcome Inn, he applied to purchase thirty acres of land “near Caleula and a road to Stoney Creek”, in the County of Wellington. The land on Calula [iii] Creek was surveyed as “Country Lot 40” by Surveyor William Tress, who submitted his plan to the Surveyor General on 27th December 1858. Coomber did not hold any other land on the creek or, as far as has been ascertained, elsewhere. Because of this, his Welcome Inn of 1857 was thought quite likely to have been located on Country Lot 40, the land he applied for that year. Just why he did not proceed to finalise the purchase was an enigma that cried out resolution.. And so begins the story of William Coomber…
Identifying William Coomber
Almost from the beginning, there was a question about William Coomber and who he really was. He had been involved with licensed premises in the vicinity of Kelso, Wellington, Bathurst and Carcoar since at least 1840, and in August of 1851 was occupied in erecting a slab-built “boarding house” at Ophir. He had been licensee of a White Horse Inn at Kelso in 1839 and another, by the same sign, at Bathurst in 1840. He built an inn at Nurea, opened on 1st July 1841, adjacent to the boundary of the Mumbles run. It too was a White Horse Inn as were two others that followed before gold was discovered at Ophir in 1851.
Coomber had a number of children by his wife, Mary, the first of whom was Harriet C, born in 1838. The record of the Registrar General of NSW indicates four male children followed, as below:
1842 Hardy G Coomber
1845 Henry W Coomber
1852 Ophir Alexander Coomber – born at Carcoar, died Summer Hill
1856 Alfred Coomber
However, when Mary Coomber died on 1 November 1901 another four children were notated on the death certificate. These were:
William, aged 61 in 1901 – born c 1840.
Albert E, aged 57 in 1901 – born c 1844.
Louisa E, aged 54 in 1901 – born c 1847
Edwin J, aged 48 in 1901 – born c 1853
In combination, the above records provide a chronology of their children as follows:
1838 Harriet C Coomber
1840 William Coomber
1842 Hardy G Coomber
1844 Albert E Coomber
1845 Henry W Coomber
1847 Louisa E Coomber
1852 Ophir Alexander Coomber
1853 Edwin J Coomber
1856 Alfred Coomber
According to her obituary, Mary Coomber [iv], who died in Forbes in 1901, came to Australia with her husband, William Coomber, in November 1837. She had been born in Inverness, Scotland on 21st May, 1819 and during her life in New South Wales was “in business…in Bathurst, Wellington and Orange” with her husband. That bare statement glosses over the realities of a life that was surely one of more eventful, and in many ways tragic, of their time.
Mary Coomber died at the age of 82 and was buried in the general cemetery at Parkes, by which time William had pre-deceased her by twenty-five years. Mary’s obituary states that William died suddenly in England, while there on “family business”, and there is no record in Australia to suggest otherwise. However, the question of William Coomber’s true identity has been clouded by one or two less thorough attempts to resolve the issue.
The surname Coomber is surprisingly common in the early history of Australia, but it does not feature in any list of immigrants arriving in November 1837. However, one William Coombes, a gardener aged 21, and wife, arrived as miscellaneous immigrants on the Andromache on 31 October 1837[v]. As the William Coomber of interest is stated in Mary Coomber’s obituary to have died in 1876 “in his 61st year”, he would have been 21 years old in 1837 when he arrived in New South Wales. Accordingly, it is almost certain that the date stated in Mary Coomber’s obituary can be accepted, with a discrepancy of one day representing the delay between arrival and disembarkation.
Other persons named William Coomber in NSW 1835-1845
Given the discrepancy between William and Mary Coomber’s surname in the shipping record and that used in New South Wales, it was thought appropriate to ensure that no other William Coomber present in the Colony at the time provided a better fit to the William Coomber who much later advertised the Welcome Inn on Caloola Creek. The results are set out below.
The first person considered was a transportee named William Comber, granted a certificate of freedom in 1825. He had arrived in the Colony on the Mary in 1819. At the time of the 1828 census of New South Wales this William Comber, aged 30, was a constable at Parramatta. He had been transported for a term of seven years [vi]. By 1837 when Mary Coomber’s obituary stated she and William arrived in NSW, this William (Comber) would have been 38 or 39 years old. In addition to this person, a Mary Comber [vii], who arrived on the Whitby in 1839, was granted a certificate of freedom in 1846. At that time the Mary Coomber of interest, then aged 37, was already with her husband at McKenzie’s Waterholes near Carcoar.
Next was a William Coomber recorded in the Archives of Tasmania – convict number 859 [viii], aged 25 in 1828. His record states that he had the figure of a woman (tattooed?) on the inside of his right arm, together with several sets of initials [ix]. He arrived in Tasmania as a transportee on the William Miles in 1828, having been convicted to transportation for life at the Kent Assis on 16th August 1827. He married Sarah Ruddell on 21st December 1830 [x] and received a Certificate of Freedom in 1840. This man, although definitely of interest, was considered too old – by 1837 he was 34 years old whereas the William Coomber of interest was but 21 years old that year.
Last of the three is the Reverend W. Coomber, mentioned in May 1857 as the “Senior Minister of the Goldfields” [xi]. He may have been a candidate, but for the fact his occupation did not fit the required profile and the problem that by the time the Reverend Mr. Coomber was Senior Minister of the Goldfield, William Coomber, husband of Mary Coomber, was behind the bar of the Welcome Inn on Caloola Creek.
“Our” William Coomber
In the absence of any compelling reason to look further it was concluded that William Coomber who announced the opening of the Welcome Inn on Caloola Creek, was actually William Coombes, aged 21 or 22 when he came to New South Wales on the Andromache as a free immigrant in 1837 and who was then already married to Mary Coombes. Mary would have been 18 years old. However, because in Australia he was always known as William Coomber, it is as William Coomber that he is discussed in this document.
William and Mary Coomber’s business undertakings
Again referring to Mary Coomber’s obituary, William Coomber was “in business” with his wife, Mary, in Bathurst, Wellington and Orange after their arrival in New South Wales on 31st October 1837. The present research has confirmed William Coomber was also “in business” at Kelso, McKenzie’s (or Five Mile) Waterhole half way between Bathurst and Carcoar, Ophir, and perhaps Summer Hill. His business at Bathurst was the White Horse Inn at Kelso and then Bathurst , at Wellington it was the White Horse Inn at Nurea, whilst that at Orange was the Welcome Inn on Caleula (Caloola, Calula) Creek. To research the story of these business ventures – or at least those of William Coomber – has been to uncover a life marked by misfortune, determination, and, perhaps above all, a very large dose of humanity. The trail of the business undertakings becomes clouded after 1858, but up to that point the record is surprisingly clear and absolutely worth including in this recounting of his life.
At first William Coomber presented as just another member of society, but as life dealt him blow after blow, he seems to have become at least a little cynical in his attitude towards authority. He developed a dislike of “the system” and found ways around the rules. He succeeded in creating a trail that is dotted with misfortune, but, at the same time, he makes one smile. He had friends who helped him out of a few tight spots, a horse called Merrylegs, and a dog, Tiger, who was a local celebrity … William Coomber was an entertainer, a very popular host, a wag, and probably a drunk; – and one of the many tragic figures that could found in various corners of 19th Century Australia.
William Coomber’s “Business”
In summary, William Coomber’s “business” was that of providing alcoholic refreshments. He was licensee of a variety of inns during the 1840s and 1850s, and in a least one instance he was the unlicensed owner of premises that provided much the same facilities. It is possible he was at Kelso as early as 1839, but no record has been found to confirm this. He was certainly there in 1840, as licensee of the White Horse Inn, and in Bathurst a year later – again as licensee of a White Horse Inn.
The White Horse Inn, Nurea
From being the licensee of the White Horse Inn at Bathurst in 1840, Coomber moved, in 1841, to the White Horse Inn at Nurea, near Wellington. His building of this establishment was reported in the Sydney Herald [xii]
Nurea was on the road then in use from Bathurst to Wellington by way of Kyong, Summer Hill, Goanna Hill, Nandillion Ponds, Larra’s Lake, and Three Rivers. The last two localities were on the Bell River, although, as discussed elsewhere in these pages, there is a degree of doubt about the actual location of Larra’s Lake[xiii]. At Nurea a track that came in from Burrendong in the east joined the road from Bathurst. The main road then continued northwards to Wellington and beyond. On the track from Burrendong, perhaps seven miles east of the White Horse Inn, was another junction. This was the north-western end of a route from Bathurst to Wellington identified in 1823 by Percy Simpson, Commandant of the penal outpost at Wellington Valley.
The actual route of Simpson’s Marked Line is discussed elsewhere under that heading, it being quite significant to the underlying research into William Coomber’s Welcome Inn on “Caloola Creek”, but when he established his White Horse Inn at Neurea the area was one of large pastoral holdings held by people including Thomas Kite, William Lee, and Sir William Verner. [xiv]
Coomber’s White Horse Inn was a little back from the western bank of the Bell River, and although officially called Nurea, the place was known locally as Black Rock. Next to the Inn was the Nurea General Store, owned by Horace Gooch, built at much the same time as Coomber’s Inn. [xv]
The far bank of the Bell River opposite the White Horse Inn and Gooch’s store marked the western boundary of the Moomble Run, [xvi] a pastoral lease held in 1848, and probably since the early 1840s, by “Sir William Verner, Bart” an absentee landlord from Northern Ireland. [xvii]
The run encompassed an area of about 4,000 acres between the Bell River and the Macquarie River, but the other boundaries were less clearly defined, with their position being described by such vagaries as the boundary of someone else’s lease, a gully, a dirt hole, or a cattle track.
The head station of Moomble Run was located not far from the Macquarie River, at the furthest boundary from the White Horse Inn. The only part of the run actually owned by Sir William was a small block (33 acres) shown much later when a first Parish Map [xviii] of the area was prepared. The other 3967-or so – acres of Moomble was a lease from the Government, as were all the other huge landholding in the area. [xix]
William Coomber’s White Horse Inn was, in theory, well located to capture passing trade from three directions. It was also well located to serve the needs of persons working on some of the pastoral stations, and perhaps far enough away from the homesteads to ensure the needs of that clientele were not often interrupted by “the Boss”. On the other hand, the White Horse Inn appears to have been quite able to cater for “the Boss” if necessary.
The records that can be found suggest the White Horse Inn at Nurea was quite an establishment [xx] but that Coomber invested far too much at precisely the wrong time – the Colony of New South Wales was in turmoil; – there had been a severe drought between 1838 and 1840 bringing financial hardship to many graziers and wheat growers – and the businesses at Nurea were deeply reliant upon the fortunes of people on the land. There had also been a financial crisis in Britain in 1839 that led to a reduction in the flow of capital and loan funds to NSW; The (Australian) Colonial Bank incurred losses in the first half of 1842 that led the proprietors to question it’s viability, triggering a run that cut the bank’s note circulation by half and deposits by a third, and impacted the level of liquidity in the community. In January 1843 loan defaults and heavy borrowing by the bank’s own directors saw the Port Phillip Bank fail and in April 1843, investigations of the accounts of the Sydney Banking Company unearthed management fraud, leading shareholders to close the bank. [xxi] In this environment any hint of insolvency on the part of William Coomber could only precipitate that very event. He was declared so on 13th March 1843. His debts were recorded as totalling £3,793, with his assets being recorded as only £177 less – but someone could not add correctly – his assets were actually £1,177 less.
The trigger to his insolvency appears to have been the dishonour of a cheque for £12-10-0. In this episode, as is the law in regard to any insolvency or bankruptcy, William Coomber was legally required to prove his identity, and it was as William Coombes that William Coomber paid his creditors ten shillings in the pound. It was also under the name of William Coombes that his inn was advertised for lease, confirming the name under which he had arrived in the colony.
During his time at Nurea, Coomber perhaps consumed more of his stock of refreshments than was appropriate having regard to the need to return a profit on them. It may be that his wife, Mary, saw the dangers of the situation and tried to reverse the trend. The papers relating to his insolvency indicate his two major creditors, Thomas and John Syer [xxii], also tried to help him. He had borrowed one thousand five hundred pounds from them to build the hotel at Nurea and, as holders of a mortgage over his premises, they were willing to allow him to trade out of the situation – and act as trustees of his estate to ensure that he did so do. His other creditors would have nothing to do with the arrangement so Coomber had no option but to be declared insolvent.
The records of his insolvency also suggest that William had a habit of riding the eleven or so miles from Nurea to the settlement of Montefiores, on the far side of Wellington. Here he appears to have refreshed himself and perhaps had a drink or two with friends. When a call was made for claims against his estate, a storekeeper at Montefiores submitted his account for William’s purchases of alcoholic beverages, cigars and horse feed…
(Claim submitted by N. Hyeronimus, storekeeper at Montefiores [xxiii]
| 1842 August 29th | 1 pint brandy | |
| September 16th | 6 glasses wine, 1 glass brandy | 5/3 |
| October 7th | 2 bottles ale, 2 glasses wine, 7 glasses wine, 1 glass brandy | 14/3 |
| 9th | 8 glasses wine, 1 glass rum | 6/7 ½ |
| 24th | 2 glasses brandy, 2 bottles ale, 2 glasses rum, 2 glasses wine | 11/3 |
| November 1st | 2 bottles ale, 2 bottles brandy | 8/0 |
| 19th | 10 glasses wine, 2 glass brandy, 1 gill brandy | 10/6 |
| 20th | 7 glasses wine, 1 glass Holland | 6/3 |
| 21st | 7 glasses wine, 2 glasses brandy, 1 bottle rum | 14/3 |
| 28th | 7 glasses wine, 4 glasses brandy | 8/3 |
| December 7th | 1 gill brandy, 2 bottles ale, 10 glasses Old Tom gin, 1 glass rum, 4 glasses wine | 1/4/7 |
| 21st | 10 glasses wine, 1 glass rum | 8/1 |
| 22nd | 1 pint brandy, 2glasses brandy | 4/6 |
| 24th | 7 glasses wine, 2 glasses porter, 1 glass gin, 1 glass brandy, 2 glasses rum, 9 ½ ? loaf sugar, ½ pint brandy, 5 gallons OP brandy, 5 bottles porter | 14/14/6 |
| 24th | 5 bottles ale, 2 glasses brandy, 1 glass porter | 2/9/9 |
| 29th | 1 glass lemon syrup, 1 glass brandy, 4 gallons OP brandy, 6 bottles port wine | 12/15/6 |
| 1843 January 2nd | 2 gallons OP brandy, 3 bottles sherry | 6/7/0 |
| 11th | 2 glasses wine, ½ pint brandy, 2 gallons OP brandy, 3 bottles sherry * | 6/11/6 |
| 15th | 2 gallons OP brandy * | 5/0/0 |
| 16th | 2 gallons OP brandy | 5/0/0 |
| 22nd | 1 gill brandy, 1 pint brandy* | 7/6 |
| February 6th | 1 gill brandy, 1 glass brandy | 2/3 |
| TOTAL ACCUMULATED DEBT (including horse hay & corn, cigars and one supper) | 69/8/10½ |
On most occasions that Coomber visited Nicholas Hyeronimus, horse hay – sometimes with corn – and bundles of cigars were also purchased, but there is no indication that he travelled to Montefiores for any reason other than to drink, and to purchase alcohol and cigars. The bulk purchases of overproof brandy and cigars were quite likely intended for subsequent sale to guests at the White Horse Inn at Nurea, but the balance of Mr. Hyeronimus’ account appears to have been for William’s consumption at Montefiores and probably for that of his drinking companions.
William Coomber’s inability to pay his bills when they became due led to his losing everything at Nurea. Trustees for his estate were appointed – one being Thomas D Syer, the other John Rogers [xxiv]. Thomas Syer auctioned all of Coomber’s household furniture, cattle, horses, pigs, and one allotment of land at Nurea. Syer Brothers foreclosed on their mortgage over the White Horse Inn [xxv] and on 28th July 1843 advertised it as being for rent together with a four-roomed cottage with garden and forge. [xxvi] Interestingly, the advertisement mentioned the inn as having been lately occupied by William Coombes – William’s real name. For Coomber it was an enormous loss and one from which he never recovered. His creditors, other than Syer Brothers, received a dividend of ten shillings in the pound – 50% of their claims against the estate. [xxvii] However, William learned a thing or two from the experience…and adopted a time-honoured strategy on future occasions.
The White Horse Inn, Bathurst
From Nurea, William Coomber returned to Bathurst. He obtained his release from sequestration on 26th June 1844, and within three months [xxviii] was again licensee of premises called the White Horse Inn. [xxix] This Inn was in Bathurst, on the corner of George and Piper Streets, “adjacent to the new Court House”. [xxx] Immediately preceding Coomber’s occupancy, the premised had been licensed to Henry Rotton who probably also owned the premises. Rotton became the proprietor of an extensive coaching business and licensee of the Victoria Inn, in William Street, Bathurst. [xxxi] After Coomber moved on to his next venture, Rotton renovated the premises and renamed them the Queen Victoria Hotel. He had been a publican in Bathurst since 1838. [xxxii]
Things are a little confused about this time because there is a mention of Coomber being at Carcoar in the last few days of March 1845. The mention is of “a child of Mr, Coomber, publican, near Carcoar, lying down basking in the sun in front of the house, when a black snake coiled itself about the child’s body. Someone coming up, the snake crept away, and it was found that the child had sustained no injury”. The report does suggest that Coomber had relocated to Carcoar at the time, but then, take note it was published on 1st April, 1845. [xxxiii]
There are other mentions of Coomber from this time – a law report published on 25th March 1845 regarding the matter of ten head of cattle stolen from Burrowa, and the renewal of his publican’s license for the White Horse Inn, which took place the following month. The 25th March report stated that the stolen cattle had been placed in a yard at Coomber’s Inn at Bathurst on 14th September 1844 and sold to a butcher, Mr. William Cable, for ten pounds. There was no suggestion that Coomber knew the cattle were stolen, but it does provide a further date for his presence in Bathurst. [xxxiv] Coomber was granted a certificate for renewal of his license for the White Horse Inn (at Bathurst) on April 25th 1845. At the same licensing meeting premises at Guyong, Meadow Flat, Summer Hill and (the) Rocks were granted renewals. [xxxv]
It was during this part of his career that William Coomber owned “Merrylegs”. On 29th April, 30th April, and 1st May 1845 there was a race meeting at Bathurst, reported extensively in the Sydney newspapers. Horses with names such as “Black Jack” “Currency Lass” “Cock Robin” “Bessy Bedlam” ran in match races the first day and on the evening of April 29th a meeting was held at the White Horse Inn “for entering horses for the following day’s races”. It was reported that the room at Mr. Coomber’s Inn was filled to overflowing, even though the room was “a very capacious one”. Next day (30th April 1845) “Ajax”, “Plenipotentiary”, “Bodkin”, “Foigh a Balloch”, “Fizjig”, “Miss Stokes”, “Bennelong”, “Guyong”, and “Merrylegs” were included in various fields. Merrylegs , “Mr. Coomber’s 5 year old gelding”, ran last in his three-horse race .[xxxvii]
Eleven months later, 13th March 1846, William Coomber was on the move again.
“To Be Let…That celebrated INN known as the White Horse, at present occupied by Mr William Coomber. Apply William R. Tress, Agent.” [xxxviii]
What actually went on here is a mystery, but no further mention of Coomber appears in the press for eighteen months, during which time it seems he may have been under a cloud…
“BATHURST – COURT OF QUARTER SESSIONS ,Thursday 16th SEPTEMBER 1847
BEFORE THE CHAIRMAN J. T. Morisset, K. Miller, E. Pork and J. B. Richards, Esqs
…James Fitzpatrick, Henry Reimbert, and William Coomber, applied for hawkers’ licenses; the two first granted – Coomber’s refused…” [xxxix]
No further explanation is given, but J.T. Morisset[xl] was a particularly stern and upstanding citizen, and one who did not make many friends in Bathurst. He would have taken a dim view of Coomber’s propensity for failed business ventures and of his circle of acquaintances, some of whom perhaps tended to operate on the fringes of the law. No reason for the long gap between newsy items regarding “our friend William” has yet been found, but it may be that further research, particularly into cases that appeared before the law courts in Bathurst, would suggest the answer. However, on 12th January 1849 the information drought breaks – William Coomber is in the news again –
The White Horse Inn at the Five-mile Waterholes
‘A license has been granted to Mr. William Coomber, the old resident in Bathurst, to retail wine and beer on premises erected at the Five-mile Waterholes, midway between King’s Plains and Carcoar. This will be a great accommodation to travellers from Carcoar, the Lachlan, &c’. [xli]
On 17th February 1849 a notice appeared in the Bathurst Free Press, advising that the White Horse Inn at Bathurst together with all its’ fixtures, was for sale [xlii] and on 17th March 1849 another notice appeared …
Notice to my Creditors
I HEREBY GIVE NOTICE to such persons as I have been indebted to while keeping the ‘White Horse’ Inn, Bathurst, to attend a at Mrs. Black’s Inn. at 12 o’clock, on TUESDAY NEXT, the 20th Instant, to decide an offer of promise, WILLIAM COOMBER, White Horse Inn, Five-Mile Water-Hole, Carcoar .March 16, 1849.[xliii]
…William Coomber was insolvent again… Debts, £349 15s Assets -personal property, £3 10s -outstanding debts, £150. Balance – deficiency, £198 15s.[xliv] …but meanwhile he was making improvements at the Five-mile Waterholes…
Five-Mile Water-hole
WILLIAM COOMBER, White Horse Inn, begs to inform persons driving Cattle from the Lachlan Districts, that he has completed his spacious Stock-yards, capable of containing 500 head ; and also, adjoining are the Five-Mile Water-Holes, the only watering place between Carcoar and King’s Plains. N.B. Good accommodation for travellers.[xlv]
It would appear William Coomber had a special affinity to inns named “The White Horse” but another newspaper account suggests that his occupation of the White Horse at Five-mile Waterholes was not entirely unopposed…
Case of Assault. — On Friday last, Mr. Joseph Simmons of Bathurst, appeared at the Police Office, Carcoar, before Thos. Icely, Esq., M.C., and Samuel Northly, Esq., P. M., to answer a charge of assault preferred by Mrs. Coomber, of the Five mile Water Holes public house. It appears that Mr. Comber has been a tenant of Mr. Simmons, whose property the above-named public house is, and that they have been occupying it against his will. It was in the act of expelling them that the present charge of assault upon Mrs. Coomber arose. Mrs. Coomber and daughter swore to the statements contained in the information, charging defendant with violence. Mr. M’Intosh addressed the Court, on the part of Mr. Simmons, with his usual ability, and produced four witnesses who swore that the plaintiff received no ill-treatment at the hands of the defendant, but walked quietly out of house. Case dismissed.[xlvi]
Next…
HEFFERNAN AND ANOTHER, V. COOMBER.— Yesterday morning a Bench of Magistrates, consisting of Messrs. Rodd, Heythorn, and Sutherland, assembled to investigate a charge preferred by the above named parties, against Mr. Coomber, of the Five Mile Water Hole, for breaking and entering a certain dwelling, of which they (the plaintiffs) were in legal occupation, and dispossessing them of the same under threats of personal violence, &c. Mr. Mackintosh appeared in support of the information, Mr. Wadeson for the defence. A number of legal objections, which space forbids us to particularise, were taken by the latter gentleman, but it was at length agreed upon to abandon the ‘breaking and entering’ clause and confine themselves to the consideration of the threatened assault. The evidence failing to support the allegations, the case was ultimately dismissed.[xlvii]
And two weeks later, William Coomber’s personality and perhaps the reason for his popularity becomes abundantly clear…or maybe the newspaper account reflects only the attitude towards authority he had developed since Nurea…
Insolvent Court.
CHEAP LAW. UNPRECEDENTED LIBERALITY OF THE BAR !
In Re Coomber.
Adjourned meeting for the proof of debts, examination of the insolvent, &c, &c. Solicitor for the insolvency, Mr. Bligh, Mr. Macintosh on behalf of the estate. Mr. Davis, acting as agent for Mr. Forbes, proved a debt amounting to £18 12s. 2d.. Insolvent examined by Mr. Simmons : Has not, since the date of last examination, discovered any property omitted in the schedule ; has expended no money since that time, except in the purchase of provisions necessary for the maintenance of self and family ; the money was derived from the sale of spirits furnished by the liberality of Mr. Meyers ; obtained credit, for between £4 and £5 worth of spirits, and was allowed to pay for it just as he could spare it ; is at present in debt to Mr. Meyers between thirty and forty shillings ; would swear that his present liability to Meyers did not exceed £3, and also that no other responsibilities had been incurred since his last examination; insolvent is not acquainted with any person named Leonard, residing at the Lachlan, and could not, therefore, have purchased a horse of him ; had agreed to receive a horse upon trial, and to pay £2 10s. for him, provided he was found suitable, the payment was provided for by a note of hand in possession of Mr. Arnold ; could not remember whether the latter was asked to endorse, insolvent was not aware that he had done so ; thinks the note was payable a month after date, and that Mr. Arnold would not, at his request, have refused to endorse it; knew at one period the name of the individual from whom he obtained the horse, but could not then recall it; is quite sure the note was not in favour of Mr. Arnold ; the owner of the horse told insolvent that rather than see him walk, he would let him have it, supposing he had to wait his own time for the money; the horse, after being brought to Bathurst, strayed back to his former run, and is not now in possession of insolvent. On the occasion of his last visit to Bathurst, did not expend above: 1s. 6d. for drink, and would swear to having been perfectly sober when leaving. Mr. Bligh objected to this style of examination, and was of opinion that his client was not called upon to answer questions so altogether trivial. The Commissioner being appealed to, decided that the fact referred to by Mr. Simmons was not so essentially connected with the present business as to demand anything further in the way of elucidation. The examination was then continued : .— Cannot tell the exact amount of liability incurred since the 1st July, the whole of the books being in the possession of Mr. Jones; Mr. Simmons had received all the papers, with the exception of his own bill, which insolvent had just found. About six months prior to the insolvency, some memorandums were destroyed by his wife ; had not kept any regular account of receipts and expenditure either before or since ; Mr. Millar had made him a present of the license, to be used for the benefit of his family, it had previously been disposed of to the said individual, and was restored on the above-named conditions ; insolvent, when he was last in Bathurst, engaged the services of two solicitors, but would swear that he had not paid either of them a farthing, they had been kind enough to trust the matter to his own generosity, under a more favourable combination of circumstances ; insolvent’s housekeeping expenses (exclusive of rent) are about 30s. per week, employs one George Harper as a servant, and pays him at the rate of 7s. per week, he remained at the house about a fortnight after the insolvency and quitted it on the transfer of license; had subsequently returned, in consequence of the arrangement entered into by Mr. Millar. By Mr. Bligh: Had given up all his property, with the exception of such necessaries as the assignee had suffered him to retain; had since the date of his insolvency been enabled to live principally by the kind assistance of friends. Mr. Macintosh: ‘ Oh, certainly, but be so good as never to forget the disinterested services of the lawyers !!! Mr. Bligh: Quite right, my learned friend; it’s they who have protected him against the machinations of his flinty hearted creditors; you know the horror entertained by most of us in reference to any mean or mercenary conduct. (A laugh.) Mr. Macintosh, addressing the insolvent: Mr. Coomber, you must allow me to congratulate you upon the possession of such tried and staunch friends, indeed you appear to have been singularly fortunate in their selection. One man as good as presents you with a horse, another is equally liberal in respect of a license, a third is kind enough to supply your bar with spirits, and the whole of them unite in helping to maintain your family. All this, however, is but as a trifle in comparison with the liberality of my legal brethren— it is they who come forward to ‘ do battle ‘ with your enemies; and who will, no doubt, ultimately have the pleasure of seeing you in a place of safety. It is they who address you in the consolatory language of the poet — Though foes should threaten, and though friends should flee, fees, or no fees, yet will we stick to thee. The learned gentleman having delivered himself something to the above effect obtained the following replies to certain queries propounded to insolvent: — I stand at a rental of £10, but my landlord has not yet received any part of it. Mr. M’Intosh: No, no, of course not. I suppose he’s another of your most excellent friends. Mr. North has never had any money from me, nor has he been in the habit of supplying me with goods, prior or subsequent to my insolvency; I have not sold nor given away any spirits excepting with the consent of Mr. Southall; I might have taken some for my own use; I did not see Mr. North draw and give away any: I have heard him direct Southall to do so; Mr. Milligan was there for the purpose of assisting Southall. This closed the examination, and the meeting was then adjourned for a fortnight.[xlviii]
Once again the press fell silent, but then on 26th January 1850 a short article appeared in the Bathurst Free Press. It was probably a filler – something put together by the editor to fill an otherwise blank space.
PROVIDENTIAL ESCAPE.
— A little girl of Mr. Coomber’s, of the Five Mile Water Holes, about two years old, recently escaped from being bitten by a snake in a most providential manner. She had been playing about the back premises until wearied, and went to sleep on the ground near an out-building. A man who was taking dinner in the kitchen happened to look in the direction where the child lay, when he espied a brown snake coiled round her legs. Seized with dismay at the impending danger, he was unable to speak, and at a loss how to act, but mechanically approached the unconscious object of his anxiety. The snake, upon seeing him, immediately uncoiled itself and endeavoured to effect its escape; the man, however, pursued and killed it. The child fortunately escaped unharmed. The reptile was between four and five feet long.[xlix]
A few weeks later Coomber was involved in yet another legal confrontation. It seems that, at the time, Coomber was still living in the hotel at Five Mile Waterholes and that Mr. Millar and Mr Simmons, who featured so prominently in the insolvency hearing in November the previous year, had a dispute. Mr.Millar was the person who, after Coomber again became insolvent, gave him a present of the license (to the hotel at Five Mile Waterholes), to be used for the benefit of his family. The license, together with the premises and all their contents, had been sold to Millar in the liquidation of Coomber’s estate. Simmons was the person who, at the November hearing, had questioned Coomber’s assertions about his expenditure on drink, and appears to have been a storekeeper in Carcoar. In the present case, Millar had engaged Coomber to work at the Five Mile Waterholes “White Horse Inn” until he, Millar, moved in to the premises with his wife and family. Millar had asked Simmons “to send up to the Five Mile Waterholes on his account, a sufficient quantity of each sort of liquor to supply the place, as he did not wish to take up his own stock until he removed with his wife and family”. Simmons had complied with the request, and had also supplied other goods to the White Horse Inn while Coomber was managing the premises. A tortuous set of arguments about the facts of the situation had led to Simmons being charged with sly-grog selling, but he was acquitted because the license was “simply in transition between he and Millar”… What is interesting is the nature of the relationship between the parties, who appear to have combined against Simmons to allow Coomber to continue behind the bar while a transfer of ownership to Millar from Simmons was completed. [l] Curiously, eight weeks later, on 27th April 1850, the Bathurst Free Press reported that…
The Annual Licensing Meeting for the district of Carcoar took place on Tuesday, the 16th inst. at the Police Office, Carcoar. The magistrates present were Samuel North, Esq., P.M., Thomas Icely. Esq., M.C, and W. M. Rothery, Esq. The following is a list of the licenses granted ; —
James Twaddle, Carcoar
John Neville, ditto
E. C. Arnold, ditto
John M’Crae, ditto
John Jeffries, ditto
William Doyle, King’s Plains
Henry and William Saddler, ditto
William Coomber, Five Mile Water Holes
Ebenezer Davies, Victoria Town
Peter Dwyer, Canowindra
Christiana Cheshire, Cheshire Creek
Joseph Haywood, Belabula
David Middlemas, Cowra
Joseph Sheppard, Kangaboala
Thomas M’Guiness, Bigga
Adding to the record of co-operation to protect William Coomber is the subsequent news. On 14th September 1850, ten months after the White Horse Inn on Five Mile Waterholes had been sold to Mr.Millar, an advertisement in the Bathurst Free Press regarding the hotel appears to suggest Coomber remained in possession until that date… [li]
THOMAS KIRKPATRICK. (Late of Cowra.) BEGS to inform the Inhabitants of Carcoar Bathurst, and the surrounding Country, that he has taken the WHITE HORSE INN, Mid-way between Carcoar, and King’s Plains, recently conducted by Mr. Coomber and hopes that by civility, assiduity and attention to the wants and comforts of his customers, as well as by vending a good article, to merit a share of public support. T. K. begs to say that he has on hand a very superior stock, of Ales, Wines, Spirits &c. And that it will always be his peculiar care to procure none but liquors of the very best description. There is ample accommodation for travellers in the shape of good and capacious stabling, a grass Paddock &c. &c. Parties travelling with Sheep or Cattle, can be suited with good and secure YARDS N.B.— A very Superior Saddle will be run for on Monday the 23rd instant.
Five Mile Water Holes, Sept. 14th, 1850.
Although apparently now entitled to a certificate of discharge from his insolvency, William Coomber did not even bother to apply for that certificate when the Chief Commissioner of Insolvent Estates (Mr.W.H.Kerr) presided over a meeting called for the purpose on 4th October 1850. [lii] He did, however, continue to have an audience in the Bathurst Free Press, even if it was simply another filler…
Snakes.— The warm weather is drawing these reptiles from their holes. ..They appear to be very numerous this season. Mr. Arthur informs us that upwards of thirty have been killed about his stations, on the Turon River, since the rain. A mastiff dog belonging to Mr. Coomber, of Mount Pleasant, near Carcoar, lately killed three brown snakes in one day, and since that time commenced an attack upon a large black snake, represented by Mr. Coomber to be about eight feet long and as thick as his arm. The manner adopted by Tiger in attacking these reptiles, is to seize them behind the head, and by a sudden jerk by which he breaks the spine, and a simultaneous toss into the air, they generally fall lifeless at his feet. In this case, the snake was too heavy for him, and after he had seized it, contrived to twist itself out of his fangs and make its escape into a hole at the root of a tree near a creek, which, from the appearance of tracks about the place, seems to be its home [liii].
To Let
THE COTTAGE in Piper-street known as Coomber’s Cottage, containing four rooms, having a baker’s oven, excellent well of water, and a plot of garden ground, fenced in, To a respectable tenant, for a term, the rent will be only 5s. a week.
H.Y. ROTTON., Bathurst Dec 13, 1850 [liv]
At this time, however, a newspaper report indicates William Coomber continued to be a resident of Carcoar, living in the dwelling house of his friend – Edward Charles Arnold. Arnold was the licensee of premises in Carcoar as demonstrated by the above-mentioned report of licensing certificates, and had also been mentioned in connection with a horse supplied on trial when Coomber was declared insolvent some twelve months before. It would seem that some clothes – one coat, one pair of trousers, one waistcoat, and one brace, the property of William Coomber – had been stolen from that friend’s house [lv]
Then, five months later, on 29th April 1851, rumours that gold had been discovered in the Western Districts were reported in the Sydney Morning Herald. [lvi] A few days later the Bathurst Free Press reported that Edmund Hammond Hargraves had “established a company of nine working miners, who are now actively employed, digging at a point of the Summer Hill Creek near its junction with the Macquarie, about 50 miles from Bathurst and 30 from Guyong. Ophir is the name given to these diggings”. [lvii] The same chronicle warned “If gold is found to abound in the localities which have been pointed out, and there is no reason to doubt the fact, all the idle, disorderly, and worthless characters from the various towns of the colony, as well as from Van Diemen’s Land and Victoria, will be immediately attracted to the spot ; and unless a strong force is located on this side of the Blue Mountains, neither life nor property will be secure ; under present circumstances a very considerable increase of crime may be anticipated in these districts during the winter.” [lviii]
Technically, William Coomber had not been discharged from his insolvency, but in the excitement no-one – especially William – seems to have taken much notice.
Coomber’s Boarding House or The Ophir Inn
By August of 1851 “Mr. Coomber, of Carcoar” was “erecting a large and substantial slab house, for the accommodation of visitors and amateur miners, to which will be attached good stabling for their horses. Such a building is much required, as there is now no place for “prospecting” gentlemen to shake-down and feed in, but at the hut of those who have located themselves here for a season as storekeepers, or gold purchasers; and it comes very expensive to these gentlemen…” [lix] The Bathurst Free Press did not mention any names, but in reference to Ophir, noted on 22rd October, that sly grog selling was practiced “here” to an alarming extent. The same issued mentioned snakes, and once again Coomber’s “celebrated dog Tiger in his usual way of throwing a stick to attract the reptile” killed one that “measured 6 feet 9 inches, and was of a brown colour”. The next day the paper recorded that “The want of suitable accommodation so long felt at Ophir, is now in a measure removed, Mr. Coomber having erected a very commodious building, where travellers may find rest and refreshment on terms far more moderate than charged at the Turon ; and as secure stabling is also in course of erection, parties will avoid the unpleasantness of having either to tramp the bush for miles in search of their horses, or of losing them altogether, which is more generally the case. [lx]
Although the structure Coomber introduced at Ophir was first described as an accommodation house, newspaper reports of entertainment events, and of its use as a store and perhaps a ‘house of worship’, suggest it was something more, quite probably in the tradition of the hotels portrayed in American films such as Tombstone and, especially, Paint Your Wagon, but of more rudimentary construction. The accommodation house became licensed as the Ophir Inn in 1852 and featured significantly in the history of Australia’s first gold rush.
Things at Ophir must have been in a bit of a muddle when the accommodation house first opened, and other newspaper articles suggest that Coomber did help out when others would not… “Mr. Drew of Wellington” built a store at Ophir sometime in June or July 1851, but when he returned – presumably, with stock – to open his store, it others had moved in and refused to leave… “Mr. Coomber was kind enough to allow the use of part of his accommodation house as a temporary store, until he (Mr. Drew) could get possession of his own premises” [lxi]
By December 1851 William Coomber’s premises, besides being a “boarding house”, if it ever was just that, had also become a place of entertainment, with “The Messrs. Howards’ company of Serenaders” performing “with very fair success”. They left in late December “for a professional tour of the interior, with the intention of returning in about three weeks”(reference) but were back on January 9th (1852) – less than two weeks later.
“The Messrs. Howards, the Serenaders, have again come to Ophir, to amuse, if not to edify or instruct the inhabitants with the Nigger Melodies. They performed last evening to a full house, part of the building erected as a house of accommodation for man and beast, by Mr. Coomber. [lxii]
Howard’s Ethiopian Serenaders were no local entertainment. They had already been in Bathurst and, by 1853, were extremely popular in Sydney. Articles in The Sydney Morning Herald that support this contention are reproduced as an appendix to this account of William Coomber’s adventures.
Henry Rotton, who some years earlier had preceded Coomber as licensee of the White Horse Inn at Bathurst, was also in the news in early 1852. It seems that someone had dared to enter into competition with him in the coaching business. A fairly vicious exchange of insults was made in the Bathurst Free Press – Rotton’s new competitors had dared to provide a timetable that showed a lesser travel time between Sydney and Bathurst. [lxiii]
Meanwhile, William Coomber continued in his habit of offering hospitality to his friends. On March 12th the Sydney Morning Herald, perhaps with a bit of a smirk, reported that divine service was performed the previous Sunday morning in part of Coomber’s boarding house… Mr. Watson, the Episcopalian clergyman from Wellington, officiated.[lxiv] The Herald added that it had not been generally known that divine service of any sort would be held at Ophir yesterday, and that, there being no sound of the tolling bell, the attendance was smaller than usual. The next week, publicans’ licenses were granted to Messrs William Coomber, Ebenezer Davies, and a Mr. Lucas [lxv]. Coomber was legal again… and it was reported, again in the Sydney Morning Herald, that he was doing a good trade. [lxvi] The Herald’s report was lifted from the Bathurst Free Press together with the comment “Where his customers’ come from, unless they spring out of the earth or drop from the moon, is astonishing”.
However, something appears to have come unstuck – perhaps the matter of his unresolved insolvency. On 29th May 1852 he advertised the Ophir Inn – in full trade – as being to let – Rent £200 per annum.[lxvii] Then things got much worse – Monday June 7th, 1852 – one of his customers was stabbed to death on the steps of the Ophir Inn … The press reported “June 10th… Another Murder in Our District… On Monday last, at the public house of William Coomber, at Ophir. The unfortunate man who has been hurried so rapidly into eternity was named Worthy Carlisle, a Carcoar man, and one of the first diggers at Ophir. The affair took place about one o’clock in the day, and Carlisle died almost instantaneously from a stab which entered the heart. The man who committed the deed is named Maurice Connolly, and is fully committed to take his trial for the murder. An enquiry into the circumstances was instituted by J T Lane, Esq , JP, on Tuesday, at Ophir”[lxviii]
As was usual, the press had a field day…
“It seems that a number of the diggers had been drinking there for some days, and all were more or less intoxicated, some words ensued between a few of them, relative to a woman known as Fred the Frenchman’s wife, when a man named Maurice Connolly called this Fred a “wretch.” At this Worthy Carlisle, the unfortunate deceased, got up, and said he would not have his mate called a wretch, and if Connolly said it again he would strike him. Connolly repeated the expression, and Carlisle struck him two or three times, when Mr. Coomber interfered, and order was somewhat restored. Connolly, who had an open knife in his hand, with which he had been cutting tobacco, went out from the bar room, but returned in a few minutes, and said if Carlisle struck him again he would stab him. Deceased then got up, and made some blows at Connolly, when a struggle ensued outside the house on the steps leading to the creek, and Connolly stabbed Carlisle on the left side of the chest, the knife entering between the sixth and seventh ribs, and wounding the heart. Deceased scarcely uttered a word, and was immediately carried into Coomber’s, placed on a sofa, and died in about two minutes. Connolly was immediately arrested by Sergeant Childs, of the Gold Police, who happened to be on the creek at the time, and properly secured. Information of the circumstance was immediately forwarded to John P Lane, Esq , J P , of Orange, the nearest magistrate, who instituted an enquiry the next morning at Ophir, at nine o’clock, and evidence of the foregoing nature was elicited. Dr Bell, who accompanied Mr Lane, from Orange, made a post mortem examination of the body, of which the following is the substance – ‘I have examined the body of a man named Worthy Carlisle, now lying dead in William Coomber’s public house;… Death must have been instantaneous, and resulted from this wound to so vital an organ, with internal haemorrhage. The knife now produced I imagine to be the instrument which inflicted the wound, the size of the blade corresponds exactly with the external wound; the stab has an upward direction, and would most likely have been produced by person standing on lower ground than that on which deceased was standing.” After this his worship adjourned proceedings to the Court House, and at 2 P.M. opened a Court of Petty Sessions, at which Connolly was brought up in custody, and after the evidence was read over to him, committed to take his trial for the murder of the unfortunate deceased, al the next Bathurst Circuit Court, on the 19th August. The prisoner asked but few questions of the witnesses five in number, and the likelihood is, he was too drunk at the time of the commission of the deed to recollect any circumstances connected with it…[lxix]
Apart from graphically explaining the circumstances of Worthy Carlisle’s death, the account of his demise tends to confirm the location of the Ophir Inn – on the hillside overlooking the creek rather than on the flats below – because the murder took place on “steps leading to the creek” from the Ophir Inn. Other aspects of the account also tend to confirm Coomber’s “Boarding House” that morphed into the Ophir Inn, just perhaps, offered more than liquid refreshments and minstrel entertainments.
At the Bathurst Assizes, Connolly received a sentence of twelve months imprisonment in Bathurst jail for his actions.[lxx]
Then things got back to normal…”Since Wednesday we have had a great change in the weather, which is now miserably cold and gloomy, with almost continued rain and gusts of wind, adding an appearance, and giving this place that kind of character for local habitation, which one would imagine the last spot on the earth might possess. I have just peeped out of the door of my hut, and a dark miserable appearance the night has, with a constant pelting rain”.[lxxi] There is no report that Coomber was charged in connection with the murder of Worthy Carlisle, but it would be safe to assume he was accused of having failed to keep an orderly house… The Ophir Inn closed, and was later sold to Sergeant Thomas Edwards, who had been sergeant of the Gold Police at Tumbaroora (Tambaroura/Tambaroora)[lxxii] . Meanwhile, in December 1852 and January 1853, Coomber was working at the Ophir Stores. During this time he offered a £5 reward for the return of a five-year-old chestnut mare, stolen or strayed from Ophir.[lxxiii] It seems he was also working for gold in the creek, as “a party, composed of five individuals, whose names are Coomber, Varcoe, Mann, Whittaker, and Livingstone, procured yesterday afternoon, just below Samuels and M’lntosh’s waterhole, upwards of 14 ounces of large gold”.[lxxiv]
Also in January 1853 the proposed Goldfields Management Act was the hot topic of discussion, and the Bathurst Free Press published an extensive report of a meeting at the Turon River diggings where the following resolution was passed:
“While we are perfectly willing to contribute to the revenue of the colony such a percentage on our gains in gold mining, or such license fee as may be reasonable and just, we are of opinion that the tax of 30s per month on all miners, is excessive, oppressive, and unjust, inasmuch as the unfortunate digger who frequently barely realises a subsistence (and there are hundreds of such persons,) is equally taxed with the successful who may acquire fortunes .” The report indicated that other resolutions were also carried during the meeting, including one “expressing great indignation at the distinction made in the license charges between British subjects and foreigners”[lxxv]
Life after Ophir
The Commissioner of Insolvent Estates finally caught up with Coomber in April 1853 – perhaps the excitement of the last year or so had delayed any activity on his part, but on April 23rd of that year, Coomber’s Cottage in Piper Street, Bathurst was put up for sale. It was again advertised as being for sale on August 29th , presumably because no-one had, in the interim, shown any interest in its’ purchase. On 23rd January 1854 the Empire newspaper reported a dividend of three shillings in the pound had been paid to Coomber’s creditors.
Just on two years were to pass before another mention was made of William Coomber in the Bathurst Press. When the silence was broken, it was to report another tragedy in Coomber’s life – the death of his youngest [lxxvi] son – Ophir Alexander – born at Ophir in January 1852. He had died at Summer Hill on 11th February 1856, suggesting that Coomber was then a resident of that town, perhaps working behind the bar in one the several hotels. Six months later, gold was discovered at Stoney Creek 1 This spelling of Stony Creek was used throughout accounts of the locality for which reason is has been retained here , a location well away from Summer Hill and Ophir, but still within the area that had been evaluated by the Surveyor-General in 1851. In the meantime one Ewan McKinnon advertised 100 acres of land to let “on Calula Creek, near Mr Katers.” [lxxvii]
Reports from Stoney Creek stated that “two men went to a place about three-quarters of a mile from Stoney Creek to mark a claim. In doing so, they turned up some nuggetty gold and worked on and from that time to the Saturday following, realised 257oz of gold worth £930….” It was reported (“by our informant”) that about 1200 people were now in the general vicinity of the diggings, and “all the falling ground from the Iron Bark Ridge to the Mookerwa” was being worked by about 150 men”. Reports such as this appeared with such regularity that an evaluation of their promoters’ pecuniary interests might produce an interesting result, but, none-the-less, people probably flocked to the scene.
A week after the first mention of Stoney Creek, another article appeared in the Bathurst Free Press. This time the Editor was a little more cautious, stating that “…We are indebted to Mr Thomas Fitzpatrick for the following…”
“The only two places in this locality that have yielded gold in sufficient quantities to pay generally for the labour expended upon it are Golden Gully and the surface of which there has been so much talk of late. Golden Gully is not more than half a mile in length and the auriferous vein, though rich, has seldom exceeded 3 feet in width. Still those who have had claims on this gully have been well rewarded the yield being good and varying from 3 to 27oz to 6 buckets of washing stuff. The surface diggings it appears were discovered in the following manner by a man noted for being somewhat cranky and lushington. While walking from his tent one Sunday morning after a considerable quantity of rain had fallen, to the public house which was at some distance, he happened to spy a bit of gold on the ground, which he of course picked up. This led him to a search for more and led to him picking up not less than 17 dwts, which he took and exhibited at the public house, and shouted for all hands until it was gone, telling them that it was of no consequence whatsoever to him, for he knew where there was as much gold as would make his fortune. Not being able to persuade the discoverer to divulge the exact locality, the parties at the public house actually went and got on his track, and the ground being soft with the rain they easily followed his footsteps till they came to the identical place, where they also found gold on the surface. On visiting the place next morning he found the whole of the ground taken up and instead of making his fortune as expected, he did not get another grain. Mr. Fitzgerald paid a visit to this place and happening to ask one of the diggers if he could not give him a piece of ground, the latter replied that he had no objection and proceeded forthwith to mark him off a piece about twice the size of a common table. On this small piece of ground Fitzpatrick and his mate immediately commenced operations and the second time the pick struck into the ground, out came a nugget of 1oz weight. This splendid and unexpected piece of good fortune was followed immediately by three others in the shape of nuggets weighing 11, 9 and 7 ounces making altogether 44 ounces in less than ten minutes. This small patch of ground had yielded by the time it was worked out 200 oz. of gold; but was accompanied by another circumstance which shows in a striking manner the great degree of uncertainty which attends the pursuit of the digger, especially on these diggings… The surface diggings are not on Stoney Creek itself but one of its tributaries called Stockyard Creek, and are situated on the slope of a small hill about a quarter of a mile from the bed of the creek,…The whole of the ground they cover is not more than that occupied by a common sized public house. The gold is all found in the soil above the slate rocks which occupy a perpendicular position underneath, the crevices between the slates being filled with a bluish kind of clay in which only a very small quantity of fine gold is found, With the exception of the two places mentioned, no ground sufficiently rich to pay for working had been found up to last Thursday. Our informant would not advise anyone to leave either his home or his claim on any other diggings to go to Stoney Creek. He has left it himself, and though he has been very successful there does not consider the prospect good enough to induce him to return…” [lxxviii]
Regardless of the initial caution evident in the Bathurst Free Press’ coverage, wonderful finds at and in the vicinity of Stoney Creek continued… A nugget weighing 14 pounds was found near Stockyard Creek, other reports stated the yield (varied) from 3oz to 27oz per six buckets of washing stuff, and the “pumping” of the general locality, including Wellington Road, the Louisa, the Meroo, and Tambaroora Creek, continued unabated for two or three months. A classic example of this is the account of “Fitzpatrick and his mate” already mentioned – a nugget of 1oz weight… three others weighing 11, 9 and 7 ounces… in less than ten minutes. This small patch of ground yielded… 200 oz. of gold…
The ebb and flow of information about Stoney Creek and diggings in the general vicinity, and at the Iron Barks continued well into 1857, by which time it would seem William Coomber had decided he needed to become involved.
The Welcome Inn on Caleula Creek
Wednesday, 29 April 1857
ORANGE.
[ FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT]
On Tuesday last, being the Annual Licensing Day, sixteen applicants appeared before our J.P’s. for the usual certificate. They were all granted with the exception of William Coomber, which was refused on the grounds of his unconquerable drinking propensity.[lxxix]
As he did at Ophir, Coomber appears to have commenced trading as an inn-keeper with only a little regard for the status of his license. There is, however, an explanation… It was, at that time, possible to commence trade as a publican without the nicety of a license, provided that less than six months remained of the current licensing year, and it was just six months before the next “licensing day” (April 1858) that Coomber commenced advertising in the Bathurst Free Press.[lxxx]
Other things too were happening in the Coomber household that year. On 13th February 1858, the following notice appeared in the Bathurst Free Press –
MARRIED. By special license, on the 11th inst., by the Rev. J. B. Laughton, Mr. Abraham McLean, of George’s Plains, to Harriett Clarinda Coomber, eldest daughter of Mr. William Coomber, of the “Welcome Inn,” Caloola Creek, near Orange. [lxxxi]
Four days later [lxxxii] there was a second notice regarding this event, perhaps to clarify that the groom was “the fourth son of Mr. R. McLean, Black Horse Square, Bathurst”. This second notice also provided yet another way of spelling the locality that featured the Welcome Inn – “Calloa”.
On 20th April 1858, two months after Harriett’s wedding, the Magistrates presiding over the licensing meeting at Orange issued a certificate[lxxxiii] authorising the grant of a license to William Coomber for the Welcome Inn, on Caleula Creek. One of the magistrates signing the certificate was Andrew Kerr, JP. The other magistrate’s signature is not clear, but Coomber’s sureties were Edward Nicholls and Frederick Irvine, both of Orange. Nichols and Irvine were then both involved in the coaching business, but Nichols knew Coomber from his days as licensee of the White Horse Inn adjacent to the courthouse in Bathurst. No research has been completed into links between Irvine and Coomber, but Irvine too was involved in the operations of a coach service at this time.
After this there is very little mention of Coomber in the press, but one article from the Bathurst Free Press of 26th March 1859 helps to develop the story. It is an account of a murder at Summer Hill on 3rd December the previous year. The victim was a woman named Catherine Leary and the newspaper account of her husband’s trial in connection with the matter mentioned a witness named William Coomber, who was in the employ of “Mr. R. Nicholls…drawing hay with a team…” The article also mentions “Mr. James Nicholl’s public house” at Summer Hill, which, together with the knowledge that one of Coomber’s sureties for the Welcome Inn bore the same surname tends to confirm a quite strong relationship.
However, things are not quite so straightforward, as the William Coomber mentioned as a witness for the Crown in the article about Catherine Leary’s murder was most likely William Coomber’s son, Henry William Coomber, born in 1845 and aged 13 or 14 at the time of the trial. This becomes more likely, given that, just before his execution, John Arrow, who was found guilty of the murder, made particular mention that “all the witnesses on his trial, and especially the boy Coomber, had given their evidence most truthfully”.
Regardless, the 1858 murder, the trial report from 1859, and the death of Ophir Coomber at Summer Hill in 1856, suggest that at least some of Coomber’s family were residents of Summer Hill when William opened the Welcome Inn on Caleula Creek. The newspaper report of Harriet Clarinda Coomber’s marriage stated that she was the daughter of “Mr. William Coomber of the Welcome Inn, Caleula Creek” but that does not mean she, or any of her siblings, were resident at Caleula Creek. An advertisement in the Bathurst Free Press from 13th August 1859 certainly suggests Coomber himself was at Caleula Creek, but also might have been inserted in the Press to offset the possibility of accusations [lxxxiv] connected with his having someone’s “lost” mare and foal in his possession at Calula Creek.. After the single certification in 1858 there is no record of a certificate being issued that authorised the grant of a license to William Coomber for the Welcome Inn on Caleula Creek, meaning that, if the Inn did continue to operate after the license expired in 30 June 1859, it did so as ‘unlicensed premises’. However, it also seems that failure to obtain a certificate was the catalyst for further assistance from friends …
When Licensing Day came round in April 1860, the certificate authorising the grant of a license for the Welcome Inn on Caleula Creek was issued to Donald McKinnon.[lxxxv]
The 1859 advertisement under Coomber’s name regarding the lost mare was his last mention in the press 2 This may not be strictly correct, because the possibility exists that Coomber was subsequently mentioned by the Western Examiner – a local newspaper in Orange. However, the archives of that chronicle were destroyed some years ago by the flooding of a basement where they were stored. until 1901, when according to Mary Coomber’s obituary, he had been dead for twenty-five years.
[The story continues in the page that presents the relationship between William Coomber and Donald McKinnon, and Donald’s wife, Catherine.]
APPENDIX – HOWARD’S ETHIOPIAN SERENADERS
FOOTNOTES
[i] “On Tuesday last, being the Annual Licensing Day, sixteen applicants appeared before our J.P’s. for the usual certificate. They were all granted with the exception of William Coomber, which was refused on the grounds of his unconquerable drinking propensity.” (The Bathurst Free Press and Mining Journal, 29 April 1857, p2)
[ii] The Bathurst Free Press and Mining Journal, 21 October 1857, p1
[iii] Calula Creek is now the official name as shown on topographic maps but the creek is referred to in historical documents as Caleula, Calula, Calloa and Caloola. Tress used the spelling “Caleula” as did Coomber and the magistrates in Orange.
[iv] Western Champion, Parkes, 8 November, 1901 p10
[v] NRS5131, NSW State Records, Index to Miscellaneous immigrants
[vi] NSW State Records – 1828 Census of NSW “flipbook” p7 (record 36)
[vii] NSW State Records – convict index entry for Mary Comber
[viii] Archives Office Tasmania, Convict Records – Con 31-1-6, image 292 (conduct record); Con 18-1-21, image (record 859)(Description List) ; Con 23-1-1, record C859 (Alphabetical Index).
[ix] Archives Office Tasmania, Convict Records Con-XX-X-X (Descriptions of Convicts)
[x] Archives Office Tasmania, Convict Records Con-45-1-1 Pages 29-30 (Marriage records).
[xi] “RYLSTONE [FROM A CORRESPONDENT] On Monday May 4th. The interesting ceremony of laying the first stone of a church to be called St. James’, took place in the presence of about 100 persons… Rev. W. Coomber, (Senior Minister of the Gold Fields,) … (The Bathurst Free Press and Mining Journal, 20 May, 1857, p2)
[xii] Sydney Herald, 21st June 1841, p1
[xiii] These names were in use when Coomber built the White Horse Inn at Nurea. Some have changed and others are simply no longer in use. There is a question about the location of Larras Lake which is evaluated elsewhere in these pages.
[xiv] Depasturing Licenses, State Records NSW, NRS 14364, item 4/93.
[xv] Index to Squatters and Graziers, State Records NSW, NRS 906 [X818]; Reel 2748-2749, Page 71.
[xvi] “NUREA GENERAL STORE, near Wellington
HORACE GOOCH begs to inform the settlers of this extensive district, that he has opened a Store next to the New Inn, about to be occupied by Mr. Coomber, of Bathurst, and hopes, by keeping a genuine selection of stock, to merit a share of their support. N.B. An experienced blacksmith on the premises.” (Sydney Herald 5 April 1841, p1)
[xvii] Sydney Morning Herald, 30 September 1848, p3
[xviii] County Wellington, Parish Mumbil,, 1885.
[xix] CLAIMS TO LEASES OF CROWN LANDS BEYOND THE SETTLED DISTRICTS – Wellington District, Sydney Morning Herald 30 September 1848, p 2
[xx] A glimpse of William Coomber’s creation at Nurea can be found in the records of his insolvency. (NSW State Archives, accessed 9th August, 2017) The Inn complied with the licensing laws as they stood at that time, and in very many respects, far exceeded the requirements. There was a bar, a large and a small parlour, a large and a small bedroom for the use of guests, a kitchen and pantry, another bedroom, nursery, servant’s room, storeroom, cellar, stockman’s room, and a stable that could accommodate six horses. The inventory prepared of his assets included cut glass decanters and tumblers, blinds, curtains, table mats, artworks, German silver spoons and forks, candlesticks, a mahogany side table, and a toast rack, additional knives, forks, serving spoons etc., and a mass of other equipment. There were fifteen pigs in a yard, and thirty head of cattle, some with calves, on adjoining pasture.
[xxi] A HISTORY OF LAST-RESORT LENDING AND OTHER SUPPORT FOR TROUBLED FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS IN AUSTRALIA Bryan Fitz-Gibbon and Marianne Gizycki , Reserve Bank of Australia 2001
[xxii] In 1842 Syer Brothers (Thomas Dunningham Syer and John G Syer) advertised in the Sydney Morning Herald as wool buyers, but shortly afterwards were also storekeepers and advertising as agents for the sale of pastoral properties (e.g. Goonoo near Wellington) and stock. At this time they were also advertising for sale sheep shears, tallow, wool packs and the like. No detailed research has been made for the purposes of this history but they also appear to have acted as legal advisors and, in the case of Thomas Syer, trustees for insolvent estates. It would appear that their appointment as trustees of insolvent estates was because they, as storekeepers, were often the major creditor of the insolvent. Whether or not this represented a conflict of interest does not appear to have been an issue.
[xxiii] Nicolas Hyeronimus (1 January 1808 – 27 June 1860) was a pioneering innkeeper, merchant, pastoralist and politician in colonial New South Wales, Australia.(Wikipedia, extracted 30 July 2019)
[xxiv] Sydney Morning Herald 18th April 1843, p2
[xxv] Sydney Morning Herald 18th April 1843, p2
[xxvi] Sydney Morning Herald 28th July 1843
TO LET, that well-known and extensive property in the township of Nurea, called the White Horse Inn, lately occupied by William Combes
The House consists of two parlours, five bed rooms, bar, tap, cellar, stove, kitchen, laundry, and storeroom, au excellent eight-stall stable, sheds, outhouses, and a never-failing well of water, garden, small paddock, and a first-rate stockyard, capable of holding one thousand head of cattle. The whole of the premises are new and substantially built, and enclosed with a paling fence five feet high. There will also be let with the above a four-room cottage and a garden and forge in full work, the whole presents an opportunity to individuals of small capital that seldom occurs, the house being situated on the road to Wellington, in one of the finest situations for business, cannot fail to realize in a short time a comfortable independence.
For rent and particulars apply personally, or by letter, post-paid, to Mr. T. D. Syer, Auctioneer, &c Durham-street, Bathurst.
[xxvii] Sydney Morning Herald, 23rd November, 1843, p4
[xxviii] Sydney Morning Herald 20th June 1843, p3
[xxix] Sydney Morning Herald, 23rd September 1844
[xxx] Sydney Morning Herald, 21st April 1845 p2
[xxxi] The Bathurst Free Press, Saturday 17 February 1849
[xxxii] Sydney Morning Herald, Monday 21st April 1845, p2
[xxxiii] The Goulburn Herald and County of Argyle Advertiser, 27th July 1850
[xxxiv] Bathurst Free Press, Tuesday 1st April 1845
[xxxv] Sydney Morning Herald, 31 March 1845
[xxxvi] Sydney Morning Herald , 21 April 1845 p2
[xxxvii] Sydney Morning Herald, Monday 5th May 1845, p2
[xxxviii] Sydney Morning Herald, 13 March 1846
[xxxix] Sydney Morning Herald, Tuesday 21st September 1847
[xl] Dr. Morisset had been a magistrate in Bathurst for many years, having originally arrived as one of the early Commandants of the settlement. He had also been Commandant at Norfolk Island during its’ period as a place of very strict discipline. When he died, the Bathurst Free Press made mention of his death, without any further elaboration.
[xli] Sydney Morning Herald, 12th January 1849
[xlii] NOTICE. FOR SALE, the WHITE HORSE INN, Bathurst, situate at the corner of George and Piper Streets, containing Nine Rooms, Bar Fixtures, &c, Kitchen with Stabling, Coach House, out-buildings, Garden, and everything complete. Now in full trade, at a rental of £120 per annum. This property originally cost the proprietor Mr. Henry Peirier, £2500. Also— An ALLOTMENT of Land adjoining. This property being adjacent to the New Court House and in the most improving part of the Town of Bathurst, will always command full trade. Unless sold by private contract, before the twenty- eighth instant, it will be put up for public competition on that day, on the premises, at twelve o’clock. ‘ Also,— TO LET, WOODSIDE, comprising 640 acres of Land, fenced in, with a good and substantial three j:ail fence ; on it is situate a neat cottage, containing four rooms, detached kitchen, private store room, coach house, three stall stable, overseer’s hut and store, men’s huts, stockyard, etc., with two gardens’ one of which coat the proprietor £400. For further particulars, apply to Mr. T. M. Sloman, Auctioneer; or, to the office of M’lNTOSH & WALSH, Solicitors, Bathurst. (Bathurst Free Press, Saturday 17 February 1849)
[xliii] Bathurst Advocate, 17 March 1849
[xliv] Sydney Morning Herald, 30 June 1849, p4
[xlv] Bathurst Advocate, 14 April 1849
[xlvi] Bathurst Free Press, 3 November 1849, p5
[xlvii] Bathurst Free Press, Saturday 10 November 1849
[xlviii] Bathurst Free Press, 24 November 1849, p3
[xlix] Bathurst Free Press 26 January 1850 p5
[l] Bathurst Free Press 2nd March 1850, p4
[li] Bathurst Free Press 2nd March 1850, p4
[lii] Sydney Morning Herald, 4 October 1850. p7
[liii] Bathurst Free Press 16th November 1850, p4
[liv] Bathurst Free Press 14th December 1850
[lv] Sydney Morning Herald 31st March 1851, p2
[lvi] Sydney Morning Herald, 29th April 1851, page 3
[lvii] Bathurst Free Press 10th May 1851, p4
[lviii] Bathurst Free Press 14th May 1851, p3
[lix] Sydney Morning Herald, 30th August 1851
[lx] Bathurst Free Press, 22nd October, 1851
[lxi] Bathurst Free Press, 31st October 1851
[lxii] Sydney Morning Herald 26th December 1851 and 9th January 1852.( p3)
[lxiii] Bathurst Free Press, 28th February, 1852.pP3
[lxiv] Sydney Morning Herald, 12th March 1852
[lxv] The Freemans Journal, 18th March, 1852
[lxvi] Sydney Morning Herald, 30th March 1852
[lxvii] Bathurst Free Press, 29th May 1852, p3
[lxviii] Sydney Morning Herald, 15th June 1852, p3
[lxix] Sydney Morning Herald, 15th June 1852, p3
[lxx] Bathurst Free Press & Mining Journal 28th August 1852 p2
[lxxi] Sydney Morning Herald, 15th June 1852, p3
[lxxii] Sydney Morning Herald, 11th December 1852, p3
[lxxiii] Bathurst Free Press, 1st January, 1853
[lxxiv] Maitland Mercury and Hunter River General Advertiser, 26 January, 1853
[lxxv] Bathurst Free Press 26th January, 1853
[lxxvi] Whether or not Ophir was the youngest depends upon which record is consulted. If the combined list at the head of this page about William Coomber is consulted, Ophir, born 1852 was either youngest or second-youngest.
[lxxvii] Bathurst Free Press 9th April 1856 p3
[lxxviii] Bathurst Free Press 23rd July 1856
[lxxix] Bathurst Free Press 29th April 1857, p2
[lxxx] Bathurst Free Press and Mining Journal 14th October 1857, p3c7; 21st October 1857, P1; 4th November 1857, p1
[lxxxi] Bathurst Free Press and Mining Journal 13th February, 1858, p3
[lxxxii] Bathurst Free Press and Mining Journal, 17th February 1858, p3
[lxxxiii] Certificate #3 (1103) Records NSW.
[lxxxiv] Bathurst Free Press & Mining Journal, 13 August 1859, p3)
NOTICE – I HAVE now in my possession one bay pony mare, with blaze down the forehead, branded C on off shoulder, with filly foal by her side. The above mare was lost from my Inn about two years back, by a Chinaman. He can have the said mare and foal, by applying to me, W, COOMBER, Calula Creek, via Orange.
[lxxxv] Archives Athy of NSW,NRS 14403 [7/1512]; Reel 1241 (License #209)
- 1This spelling of Stony Creek was used throughout accounts of the locality for which reason is has been retained here
- 2This may not be strictly correct, because the possibility exists that Coomber was subsequently mentioned by the Western Examiner – a local newspaper in Orange. However, the archives of that chronicle were destroyed some years ago by the flooding of a basement where they were stored.