Enoch William Rudder and the discovery of gold in Australia

The price of wool on the London market fell, as did land values, and capital from England dried up.

Enoch was declared bankrupt in 1842 and was obliged to relinquish all his unclaimed land on the Macleay to settle his debts.

Towards the end of the decade, he took an interest in the gold rush in California.

In Birmingham, England, Rudder had been involved in building a machine to separate gold from its matrix and he intended to try this out on the Californian goldfields.

With backing from William Henry Chapman of Yarrabandini Station, he built the machine in Sydney and booked passage to California on the American Whaler Harrison, for himself, his two sons Julius and Augustus, and Chapman's son-in-law James Cheers.

They sailed on October 25 1849, arriving in San Francisco on February 8 1850.

Also sailing for California was Edward Hargraves, who had left on July 20 1849 on the Elizabeth Archer.

Formerly a squatter on the Manning River, Hargraves left his wife in charge of their store at East Gosford to try his luck on the goldfields.

Unfortunately, Enoch Rudder found his gold washing machine was unsuitable for the conditions in California.

He later met up with Hargraves and his partner Simpson Davison who invited him to join them in a mining partnership.

Davison and Hargraves understood the value of Rudder as "an educated gentleman of some scientific attainments" and the Australians traversed large areas of the Californian goldfields, exploring and prospecting but with only moderate success.

During their journey, the three men agreed that the countryside around the Californian goldfields bore some similarity to New South Wales and resolved to search for gold on their return home.

Rudder suspected that Hargraves and his partner would leave for New South Wales without him to begin the search for gold and resolved to leave first.

He departed from San Francisco with his sons on October 13 1850 on the Rosetta Joseph, a ship built on the Manning River and in which Rudder had every confidence.

James Cheers had already left for home by this time.

Despite Rudder's faith, the Joseph struck a reef off Lord Howe Island and after an epic journey in open boats, the Rudders with other passengers and crew reached Port Macquarie in December 1850.

Rudder found that Hargraves had arrived before him and had already been to Bathurst.

In California, Rudder had suggested the Bathurst area as worthy of investigation.

Hargraves returned from Bathurst to Sydney to lay claim to the reward of £500 on offer for the discovery of gold in the colony, without acknowledging the help of Rudder and others.

Enoch Rudder generously continued to assist Hargraves by writing to the Sydney Morning Herald on April 2 1851, supporting Hargraves' discovery and urging the Government to seriously consider his claim.

The day following publication of his letter, the Governor-General signed papers which were to credit Edward Hargraves as the discoverer of gold in Australia.

Hargraves was ultimately granted £10,000 by the Government and a pension.

Rudder rightly believed he had not received recognition for the part he had played in the discovery of gold in Australia.

As late as 1878 he petitioned the NSW Legislative Assembly for consideration of his role in the discovery of gold, but there was no outcome.

Enoch Rudder passed away in Kempsey in December 1888 at the age of 88.

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