Reminiscences of Queensland, 1862-1869Corfield, William Henry
History
Reminiscences of Queensland, 1862-1869
Corfield, William Henry
Frontier and pioneer life -- Australia -- Queensland; Queensland -- History
Later, I was engaged to mark sites on Vindex Station, and it was mainly
due to the perseverance of Mr. W. H. Keene, the manager, that water was
tapped over 300 feet. He sunk on one to 500 feet, the water rising to
within 152 feet from the surface. It was tested by being pumped for six
hours, but the 20,000 gallons per day could not be reduced. Water was
obtained at all my sites on Vindex. These results proved that my 300
feet depth was wrong.
I then contracted to test for water on the Nottingham blocks, which are
situated on very high downs country between Hughenden and Winton, at the
heads of the Landsborough, Flinders, and Diamantina Rivers. My previous
experience led me to believe that about 600 feet was my limit, and bores
were put down to over that depth and abandoned without water. Eventually
the owners selected a site, and put down an artesian bore, striking a
flow at about 2,000 feet. I felt sorry they did not sink on one of my
sites to prove exactly how deep I could feel underground water.
Another failure was at Vuna selection. The site was on a continuation of
the high downs adjoining the Nottingham blocks. The bore was put down
over 500 feet at a spot which another diviner had endorsed as being a
good site. This and another one were also abandoned without water.
At Glendower, near Prairie, on the Hughenden railway line, I selected a
site guaranteeing water if there would be at 300 feet, near a site which
had been put down 700 feet without water. The latter had been marked
haphazard, and I could not detect any indication of a stream. My site at
300 feet was also a failure. At this depth the bore was abandoned.
A controversy was started in Charters Towers over a paragraph in the
_Northern Miner_, as follows:--"The Dalrymple Shire Council's well on
Victoria Downs road, at the _head_ of the 10-mile creek, on the spot
picked by Mr. George O'Sullivan, was sunk to a depth of 38 feet, and at
that depth water became so heavy that sinking conditions had to be
discontinued. The water rises to within 18 feet of the surface. This
site was stated to be barren of water by Mr. Corfield." The above
requires an explanation from me, which I now give.
I was camped at Bletchington Park, where I had been marking sites for
Messrs. Symes Brothers, who had just completed one I had previously
marked within 100 yards of their homestead. They struck a supply of
15,000 gallons per day, at a depth of 70 feet. In the morning it was
arranged that Mr. J. Symes should drive me into Charters Towers, and
when on the road, asked me if I would mind looking at Sullivan's site at
the 10-mile creek. He said he did not know exactly where it was
situated. When we reached the creek we saw some trees stripped of bark
close to the crossing indicating the spot, as we thought, but I could
find no sign of water there. I did not go to the _head_ of the creek,
where I afterwards learnt the site was. Hence the statement that I had
declared the site barren of water.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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