Page 2 - rigneymaster

One Man’s Goldfield: the story of the Horseshoe Bend Diggings, William Rigney and Somebody’s Darling

Contents

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................ 1
Contents ............................................................................................................................. 2
Table of Contents ............................................................................................................ 2
Table of Tables ............................................................................................................... 2
Table of Figures .............................................................................................................. 2
Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 4
The Horseshoe Bend Diggings ........................................................................................... 5
Pre-European .................................................................................................................. 5
The early Europeans ....................................................................................................... 5
The discovery of gold ...................................................................................................... 7
Impressions of goldfield life ............................................................................................. 9
Settlers at the Bend ...................................................................................................... 10
Stewart’s Island Block Accommodation House and the Horseshoe Bend Post Office .. 17
The Horseshoe Bend Church ........................................................................................ 20
Schooling ...................................................................................................................... 22
Crossing the Clutha at the Bend ................................................................................... 23
Roxburgh Railway Line ................................................................................................. 25
William Rigney .................................................................................................................. 27
William Rigney’s early life ............................................................................................. 27
Arrival at Horseshoe Bend ............................................................................................ 27
Rigney’s mining ventures at the Bend ........................................................................... 28
The story of Somebody’s Darling ...................................................................................... 32
Introduction ................................................................................................................... 32
William Rigney on the issue of who buried “Somebody’s Darling” ................................ 32
Who was “Somebody’s Darling” .................................................................................... 32
The grave and headstone ............................................................................................. 34
A lonely end ...................................................................................................................... 39

Table of Tables

Table 1 Horseshoe Bend Residents - Wises Directories .................................................. 10
Table 2 Horseshoe Bend Postmasters and Postmistresses ............................................ 19
Table 3 Teviot Communicants Roll Book: Horseshoe Bend 1868 - 1911 ......................... 21

Table of Figures

Figure 1 Horseshoe Bend from Billygoat Hill ~ 1900 .......................................................... 9
Figure 2 Bell / Meyer's "Black Cat Inn" ............................................................................. 13
Figure 3 Bell / Meyer's "Black Cat Inn" ............................................................................. 13
Figure 4 Bell / Meyer's "Black Cat Inn" ............................................................................. 14
Figure 5 Meyer's sluicing claim in operation ..................................................................... 15
Figure 6 Meyer's sluicing claim in operation ..................................................................... 15
Figure 7 Stevenson / Redford cobb cottage ..................................................................... 16

© Jeff Robertson 2