Hi I am looking to help a friend chase her grandfather who arrived in the Goldfields from Ireland most likley around the 1860 period. His name was John Colvan Murphy and he had a son Harold Joseph Murphy born around 1883. That is about all she has to go on apart from the name "Buringa" or "Buringe", which I can't find on any google search so thought it may be an old mining town name. Hoping that these names may have popped up on someone's search or you may be able to point me in the right direction to help her, I am not familiar with Victorian research as most of mine have been in Tasmania or South Australia mining areas. Regards Vicki Geard

Hi Vicki, It Might be Berringa, near Smythesdale, Ballarat area Dave At 03:06 PM 4/09/2005, Vicki Geard wrote: >Hi >I am looking to help a friend chase her grandfather who arrived in the >Goldfields from Ireland most likley around the 1860 period. His name was >John Colvan Murphy and he had a son Harold Joseph Murphy born around 1883. >That is about all she has to go on apart from the name "Buringa" or >"Buringe", which I can't find on any google search so thought it may be an >old mining town name. >Hoping that these names may have popped up on someone's search or you may be >able to point me in the right direction to help her, I am not familiar with >Victorian research as most of mine have been in Tasmania or South Australia >mining areas. > >Regards > >Vicki Geard > > > >==== AUS-VIC-GOLDFIELDS Mailing List ==== >Searchable archives at >http://listsearches.rootsweb.com/?list=AUS-VIC-GOLDFIELDS-L

Hi Vicki, I agree with Dave Evans - its most likely to be Berringa near Ballarat. From the site for the company Ballarat Goildfields N/L at http://www.ballarat-goldfields.com.au you will find a map showing the location of Berringa. Also, the following description of historic gold mining is of interest. "Historical mining at Berringa took place as early as 1855 when miners worked a number of alluvial gold deposits. Alluvial gold mining was the principal form of mining until 1865 when quartz reefs were discovered. A number of smaller quartz mines were worked from 1865 to 1898. The majority of gold production from the field was between 1898 and 1917, from five quartz mines, some of them reaching a depth in excess of 1000 feet. Poor economic conditions and shortages of labour brought about by the First World War forced the mines to close. The most recent mine to have operated in the field is the Berringa mine. It was started in 1937 during the depression and was profitably worked until 1952 when the cost of sinking the shaft deeper forced the mine to close. The mine was then re-opened in 1956 for a couple of years, and again in 1974 and 1980. The recorded amount of gold produced by the mines was about 300,000 ounces at an average grade of 8.2g/t (production from 1898 to 1917)." Re John Murphy - this is a difficult line of research, and the following is purely speculative and based on possible variations in spelling of Berringa eg 'Burr', and the proximity to Ballarat where siblings were born. All the references are Vic BDM and with the registration numbers in brackets. One possiblility: 1. John Murphy - Margaret Lalor (or Lawler/Lawlor). They had the following children: * Mary Jane, b.1870 (21768), ' Burr' Berringa? * Ann, d. 1875 (4751), Sebastopol, aged 6 months * John, d. 1876 (5794), Ballarat, aged 7 years * Catherine, b.1876 (16727), Happy Valley * Mary Jane, d. 1876 (9135), Ballarat, aged 5 years * Alice, b.1878 (3131), Happy Valley * Arthur, b.1882 (16695), Happy Valley * Mary, b.1885 (3084), Happy Valley * Sarah, b.1888 (11975), Happy Valley Interestingly there is a John Murphy who married Julia Lalor (or Lawler/Lawlor) in 1863 (1530). Julia died in 1920 (9883) in Daylesford aged 81 years. Her parents wereWilliam Lalor and Margaret Delaney. They had the following children. * Patrick, b.1864 (15992), Smeaton. * Thomas, b.1867 (23685), Mt Prospect. * Catherine, b.1869 (24067), Mt Prospect. * John, b.1872 (4429), Mt Prospect. What is not known is whether Julia and Margaret were related. I should add that I havent found a specific reference to a John Colvan Murphy in the Victoria BDM. Perhaps he didnt use the middle name. Regards, Peter Matthews Vicki Geard wrote: >Hi >I am looking to help a friend chase her grandfather who arrived in the >Goldfields from Ireland most likley around the 1860 period. His name was >John Colvan Murphy and he had a son Harold Joseph Murphy born around 1883. >That is about all she has to go on apart from the name "Buringa" or >"Buringe", which I can't find on any google search so thought it may be an >old mining town name. >Hoping that these names may have popped up on someone's search or you may be >able to point me in the right direction to help her, I am not familiar with >Victorian research as most of mine have been in Tasmania or South Australia >mining areas. > >Regards > >Vicki Geard > > > >==== AUS-VIC-GOLDFIELDS Mailing List ==== >Searchable archives at >http://listsearches.rootsweb.com/?list=AUS-VIC-GOLDFIELDS-L > > > >