@kieran.wicks #question from @kieran.wicks #GoldRushStories #AustralianHistory #HenryLawson #LifeontheGoldfields #Gold #FYP #ChilhoodMemory #History #LouisaLawson ♬ original sound - Kieran.Wicks
One of the miners attracted to the Mudgee / Gulgong district by the gold rush was a bloke called Niels Peter Larsen, who married a woman by the name of Louisa Albury in Mudgee in 1866, changing their names to Peter and Louisa Lawson with the birth of their son Henry in Grenfell 1867.
Many of Lawson’s stories and poems are framed in the Mudgee district’s scenery where he grew till the age of 15.
Henry was just six months old when the Lawson's moved to Pipeclay, where they would eventually build and open what would be the local post office.
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The Lawson Selection
Eurunderee, Mid Western NSW
Henry Lawsons Childhood Home Sketches by Charles Lawson
Peter was a carpenter building not only the family home, but also many more buildings in the district including Henry's school at Eurenderee.
Louisa had been instrumental in lobbying for the school to be built, though had not been allowed to attend the subsequent meeting to discuss the proposal by the local men and had to watch through a crack in the wall.
Built by Peter Lawson in 1876, you can find these colonial ruins on Henry Lawson Drive 8 km north of Mudgee, in a place called Eurenderee, known as Pipeclay in Lawson’s time.
The house was demolished soon after the end of the Second World War.
The Lawsons had issues deeds and the Department of Lands taking several months to acquire their necessary documents.
Their 40 acres was positioned over the line of gold, so Peter still had the gold bug; sinking quite a few shafts.
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Peter managed to fence off 10 acres, however, all plans to farm their land were futile as the land itself was too steep to plough and had poor soil which had been gouged by gold-seekers and covered with pipeclay and quartz, with Peter having filled in 24 holes before giving in.
In 1874 gold was discovered at nearby Sapling Gully, Snakes Creek and Newton's paddock, about 5 km north of the Lawson selection. Peter wanted to join the rush but Louisa Lawson had him turn one room into a store before she would let him go anywhere. On the 24th October, 19 residents converged at the Lawsons' store to sign a petition for a post office and by January 1st 1875, Peter Lawson was appointed postmaster of New Pipeclay at 11 pounds per annum.
Peter later resigned as postmaster, giving “wife's ill health” as the reason. Their home was let to the new postmaster and they moved into a shanty a miner had built on their selection.
Mine head & group of gold miners, Gulgong area - c1870-1875
Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales - The Holtermann Collection
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