Between 1861 and 1867 there were a number of gold discoveries at Clermont; Cloncurry; Cape River; Nanango, Gympie and Kilkivan. Gold was discovered in Central Queensland near Peak(e) Downs in 1861, with a rush taking place in 1862. This led to the development of the Clermont Goldfield which was proclaimed in August, 1863 covering an area of over 4044 km2 (1600 miles2). The principal gold mining areas were those named The Springs, Black Ridge and Miclere. The alluvial deposits covered a large number of gold-bearing leads and have yielded many thousands of ounces of gold. They were considered at the time to be the richest and most extensive alluvial gold deposits in Queensland. There were at least four batteries working in the area as well as large dry-blowing operations.
Clermont, 1870. (Image courtesy SLQ RN21220155670002061)
As gold was discovered across Queensland the police presence in these areas increased due to the large influx of miners, their families and others involved with banks, stores and pubs. The death and crime rate in these towns and around the diggings was high. Gold escort duty in these early days involved the movement of gold nuggets from the diggings to the bank at a main centre for exchange into bank notes which were then back to the gold fields. Only a couple of men would have been in charge of the bullion. Later in the 1890s when large amounts of gold were being discovered and moved, a gold carriage with up to 6 mounted men and a Sub-Inspector would have been inspected to accompany the cargo. In this instance gold was brought from the Clermont/Peak Downes area to Rockhampton.
THE PLAYERS…
Sergeant James Julian was a grave young Irishman known to his juniors as ‘Count’ Julian, in his early thirties, came from County Kerry, Ireland and had been on escort work for four years. He was meticulous in dress and had a grand manner. He had escorted the consignment of gold from Clermont to Rockhampton and had received instructions from Commissioner Griffin to return the bank notes to Clermont on 26 October.
Patrick William Cahill was born in 1840 in Waterford County, Ireland and was a school friend of members of the Power family. After coming to Australia, he worked in various positions in Victoria and New South Wales. In 1865 he met up with Power in Brisbane and cemented the childhood friendship. He was 27 years of age, nearly 6 feet tall with blue eyes, brown hair and a fresh complexion.
John Francis Power was born in 1842 in the neighbourhood of Carrickson Suir, between the counties of Waterford and Tipperary, Ireland. When he was about 20 a desire for travel saw him follow his brother to Australia, arriving in November 1862. He lived a varied life – living in Ipswich for a time; travelling to remote Gulf of Carpentaria; going into partnership on a sheep run on the Fitzroy River and prospecting. John became very ill and after recovering discovered that his partner had taken advantage of his absence, and sold the stock to leave him without any cash and in need of a job. He was 25 years of age.
In 1865 Power and Cahill met up in Brisbane. In 1867 they travelled to Clermont and decided to join the gold escort. At the time there was only one remaining position so on 4 April Thomas Power was appointed as a Constable and Patrick Cahill was named as supernumerary until the next vacancy should occur.
Group image taken in Rockhampton L-R: Sergeant James Julian, Constable Patrick William Cahill. Constable John Francis Power and Gold Commissioner Thomas John Griffin. The two Native Police are not named. (Image courtesy QPM PM0680a)
Thomas John Augustus Griffin was born 27 July 1832 in Antrim, Northern Ireland. He entered Royal Irish Constabulary in 1852 and then volunteered for service in the Crimean war (1863 – 1856) where he won two decorations and a commission in the Turkish contingent. In 1857 he arrived in Victoria and on 29 April of that year married Harriett Klister, supposedly a wealthy widow. In May 1858 he deserted his wife and joined the New South Wales police working as a clerk and then Acting Sergeant on transfer to Rockhampton. In February 1859 he was appointed as Rockhampton’s Chief Constable. In Nov 1860 he became Brisbane’s Chief Constable and then promoted to Clerk of Petty Sessions, reputedly because of his friendship with the sister of a leading politician. In Oct 1863 Griffin was appointed Police Magistrate & Gold Commissioner to the Clermont gold field. He soon proved himself a unpredictable tyrant on the Bench. Spending money flamboyantly, he haunted the gambling dives of the camp and bet heavily to recoup repeated losses. Ugly rumours did the rounds that hinted at bribes for immunity from prosecution, or for a favourable verdict in civil claims. Griffin exhibited a very pleasant manner to those he desired to appease but was abrupt and tyrannical with anyone whom he regarded as inferior. He came close to destitution by heavy losses in Chinese gambling dens and the heavy demands from his wife whose discovery of his whereabouts also lost him the support of the leading politician’s sister.
In June 1866 the Chief Magistrate of Clermont, discovered that Griffin had stolen a letter addressed to him in criticism of the commissioner’s work. He asked for a civil service inquiry into this flagrant abuse of duty. The inquiry was held in Brisbane where few witnesses could attend, and Griffin was exonerated. Rumours that he had embezzled money entrusted to him by miners led to a public meeting in Clermont and a petition for his removal, but before it could be presented he was transferred to Toowoomba as Police Magistrate. In 1867 he was transferred to Rockhampton as the Gold Commissioner. In mid-1867 he was given custody of £252 by some Chinese gold diggers but when the moment for settling came in October he was unable to pay.
East Street in Rockhampton ca. 1887. (Image courtesy SLQ RN237283)
This information was researched by Curator Lisa Jones and sourced from the best Queensland Police Museum resources available at the time of writing. The Police Museum is open 9am to 4pm Monday to Thursday and 10am to 3pm on the last Sunday of the month (Feb-Nov) and is located on the Ground Floor of Police Headquarters at 200 Roma Street, Brisbane. Email: museum@police.qld.gov.au
“FROM the VAULT – Gold and Greed Part 1: the murder of Constables Power and Cahill in 1867” by the Queensland Police Service is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (BY) 2.5 Australia Licence. Permissions may be available beyond the scope of this licence. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5/au/legalcode