“To Hell or Siberia” reads the information plaque. “The rush was a failure of Frost, and so great a one that ‘Siberia’ was the only word adequately to express the chagrin of the men who hoped so much from its discovery. Being one of these myself I can cordially endorse the appropriateness of the name…
Siberia was said to be 70 miles of dry stage, and yet off we all started, as happy as kings at the chance of mending our fortunes. Poor Crossman (since died), McCullogh, and I were mates, and we were well off, for we had not only our ‘Little Carnegie’, who, like his master had been earning his living at Bayley’s, but a camel, ‘Bungo’ by name, kindly let by Gordon Lyon. Thus we were able to carry water, as well as provisions, and helped to relieve the sufferings of many a poor wretch who had only his feet to serve him.
Men in sore straits, with swollen tongues and bleeding feet, we saw and happily, were able to relieve.” (David Carnegie, ‘Spinifex and Sand’, 1898)
“The origin of the name is uncertain, but in a book on the Goldfields, by Duke Stewart, the author wrote that J.S. Christie told him how ‘Siberia’ was named: ‘A swagman struck the track near the Carnage and cut on a tree the words ‘To Hell or Siberia’.”
Of the miners only disused shafts and rusted old tin cans remain.
A row of graves each bordered by white quartz rocks, a sign with the names of those buried there, is all that remains of the original settlement. The grave on the very end, half hidden under the scrub is the smallest. On it lies a baby angel. Tears would well in many an eye with the thought of life, and death here.
Siberia was said to be 70 miles of dry stage, and yet off we all started, as happy as kings at the chance of mending our fortunes. Poor Crossman (since died), McCullogh, and I were mates, and we were well off, for we had not only our ‘Little Carnegie’, who, like his master had been earning his living at Bayley’s, but a camel, ‘Bungo’ by name, kindly let by Gordon Lyon. Thus we were able to carry water, as well as provisions, and helped to relieve the sufferings of many a poor wretch who had only his feet to serve him.
Men in sore straits, with swollen tongues and bleeding feet, we saw and happily, were able to relieve.” (David Carnegie, ‘Spinifex and Sand’, 1898)
“The origin of the name is uncertain, but in a book on the Goldfields, by Duke Stewart, the author wrote that J.S. Christie told him how ‘Siberia’ was named: ‘A swagman struck the track near the Carnage and cut on a tree the words ‘To Hell or Siberia’.”
Of the miners only disused shafts and rusted old tin cans remain.
A row of graves each bordered by white quartz rocks, a sign with the names of those buried there, is all that remains of the original settlement. The grave on the very end, half hidden under the scrub is the smallest. On it lies a baby angel. Tears would well in many an eye with the thought of life, and death here.
‘rusty can’
‘baby angel’
‘Afghan cameleers saved many lives during the ill-fated rush to Siberia’
No comments:
Post a Comment