Wombat had quite a large population by 1861, there were two distinct town centres, there was “Big Wombat” and “Little Wombat. Little Wombat seems to have been mostly populated by Chinese and was situated closer to Murrumburrah, more in the Nubba area.
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Ross Maroney in his book “Old Young” tells a story of a relic of the past being found in the garden of Mr. C. Cormack of Redbridge.
An old gold studded horse shoe believed to have been owned by a wealthy Chinese resident of Wombat, Ah Chong.
It is estimated that in the gold rush period there was 5000 people living in the area and six of the local hotels all took turns at organising a race meeting.
Ah Chong kept a gambling house, and to show his wealth he had all his horses shod with gold plated shoes for the Wombat races.
Some of the later hotels at Wombat were:
- The Race Course Inn, Licensee 1875-79, John McGrath.
- The Albion Inn, 1875-81, Sarah Yerbury; 1882 Samual Yerbury.
- The Royal Hotel, Licensee 1877-79, Solomon Meyer: 1880-83.
- The Prince of Wales, Licensee 1879, James Laurence Comerford.
- The Australian Arms Hotel, Licensee 1882, John Francis Ryan,1883, Susannah Livingstone, 1884, Susanna Lewington.
- Also advertised in the Miner was The Rose, Shamrock and Thistle as being opened in 1876 with Charles Holmes as licensee. Licensee in 1877-78 was Thomas Pegram.
Some of the stores at Wombat in 1861 was as follows: Wombat Stores, G. Forsythe, Drapery, Clothing, Boots and Shoes, Grocery, Ironmongery, Saddlery. Wombat, Tipperary Gully and new Rush. Scotes, Bark Store. G.Millen, Butcher. Lawrence Ryan, Carcass Butcher. John McKay, Storekeeper. William Yerbury, Wombat agent for the Miner. W. Fitzgerald, Storekeeper Lower Wombat Digging Place. George Jordan, Storekeeper. Mr. Eason’s Store, Wombat. Mr. J. H. Lewis’s Store, Wombat. Buckley & Cookman Tailing Yards, one mile from Wombat.
The following list of deaths at or near Lambing Flat are from newspapers of the day:
- January 1861: Christian Fredericks. A musician.
- January 1861: Jane Lazarus, infant daughter of Wolf Lazarus, aged13 months, at her father’s residence Lambing Flat.
- February 1861: Evangeline Agnes Morrison, aged I year 9 months, daughter of William and Margaret Tomison, at lambing Flat.
- February 1861: Henry Butt, in his tent at Stoney Creek, of apoplexy of the lungs, resulting from intemperance.
- March 1861: Mr. King. Storekeeper, Spring Creek, of tuberculosis.
- March 1861: John Frederick Esback, aged 8 years, run over by a bullock dray, at the main crossing place, Burrangong Creek.
- March 1861: James Baines, broke neck when fell under a dray.
- March 1861: John Holdham, miner. Broke neck when mine fell in on him, at Stoney Creek.
- March 1861: Benjamin Vine, miner. When dirt bank fell in on him, at Lower Wombat.
- March 1861: Norman Mc Vicar, son of Mr. Donald McVicar, died at Bendick Murrell Station, aged 18.
Information for the Lambing Flat Gold Rush articles sourced from Ross Maroney’s Old Young.
Historian Brian James contributes his column each week to the Young Witness on behalf the Young Historical Society Inc.