William Ford (1852–1932), along with
Arthur Wellesley Bayley, discovered
gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile me ...
on 17 September 1892, in the area that became the
gold rush
A gold rush or gold fever is a discovery of gold—sometimes accompanied by other precious metals and rare-earth minerals—that brings an onrush of miners seeking their fortune. Major gold rushes took place in the 19th century in Australia, New ...
town of
Coolgardie, Western Australia
Coolgardie is a small town in Western Australia, east of the state capital, Perth. It has a population of approximately 850 people.
Although Coolgardie is now known to most Western Australians as a tourist town and a mining ghost town, it ...
.
Life and career
William Ford and Arthur Bayley teamed up when they met on the gold fields in what is now the Coolgardie area. After some initial disappointments, they succeeded in finding a major gold reef that became famous in the mining world. As a result, they are regarded as the discoverers of Coolgardie. Bayley, unlike Ford, had little chance to enjoy his new-found wealth, dying within four years of the discovery.
Circa 1903-4, Ford built a sandstone Federation house called 'Wyckliffe' in the Sydney suburb of
Chatswood. Built predominantly of stone, the house is single-storeyed with a turret. It has elaborate wrought iron balconies as well as floral detailing around the turret. Ford and his wife had a baby girl in 1906; a son followed not long after. Ford lived quietly at 'Wyckliffe' until his death, which was reported in the
Sydney Morning Herald; the paper described him as the discoverer of Coolgardie.
William Ford at Trove
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'Wyckliffe' is listed by Willoughby Council as a heritage item of local significance under Willoughby LEP 2012 (edocs.willoughby.nsw.gov.au/DocumentViewer.ashx?dsi=3539298).
Notes
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ford, William
Gold prospectors
Australian gold prospectors
1852 births
1932 deaths