No, I haven't heard of either of those, Tom & Libby Thanks for the references. I am really engrossed in these accounts at the moment, and will look up the Olivers Diary to see if I can get it on interlibrary loan. I recently came across another diary (in transcript, and in private hands) which I have on loan at the moment. Although much later than the 1851 - 57 diaries I recently quoted from, it is actually 2 years of letters written by the son of the man whose accident and subsequent "gruesome surgery" I reported last week. In 1917 the son boarded ship in Albany, W.A. for the Front in France and Belgium, and spent time in England. He records walks of 20 or so miles quite routinely. When on leave in England, he hired a bike and rode from Oxford to Wales and back just for sight seeeing. No wonder we have an obesity problem! Trevor ----- Original Message ----- From: "Tom & Libby Luke" <tomluke@optusnet.com.au> To: <AUS-VIC-GOLDFIELDS-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Sunday, September 25, 2005 2:02 PM Subject: Adelaide to Mt.Alexander Goldfields | Hello Trevor, | | You wrote: | From: "trevor" <tjwilliams@iinet.net.au> | To: AUS-VIC-GOLDFIELDS-L@rootsweb.com | Message-ID: <016d01c5c12f$6328a940$6401a8c0@testerccb5031d> | Subject: Re: Gold Mine called Lorna Doone | Content-Type: text/plain; | charset="iso-8859-1" | Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit | Jack, | The fact that the Lorna Doone mine seems a long way from Maldon should not | distract you. I am often staggered at the vast distances that our forebears | walked or rode in the pre-car days. Their mobility was quite extraordinary, | particularly in the days of early European settlement here. My current line | of investigation, for example, involves a party of 5 men walking 800kms from | Adelaide to the Mount Alexander gold fields. | | Trevor have you read the book called: | "Olivers Diary -an' andkichef of eirth" | | This marvellous little book was Edited by Margaret E. Ragless a Great Great | Niece of Oliver Ragless. | He was part of a party that walked to the Mount Alexander Goldfields and | particularly Fryers Creek. | There were five Ragless brothers in the party of seven which left Adelaide | on 23 January 1852. | One member had gone ahead in December 1851. | | In a similar vein the recently discovered diary of Cornishman Thomas Ninnes | is being transcribed by family descendants and other interested Cornish | descendants. | Thomas and his extended family walked from Burra to the Bendigo Goldfields | in early 1852. | His wife Maria and children lie buried on the outskirts of Bendigo in what | was always known as "The Lonely Grave" | It is also a wonderful story of tenacity in the face of tragedy. | | Best wishes...Tom and Libby. | | | ==== AUS-VIC-GOLDFIELDS Mailing List ==== | Searchable archives at | http://listsearches.rootsweb.com/?list=AUS-VIC-GOLDFIELDS-L |