Milparinka is a small settlement in north-west

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

, Australia, about north of

Broken Hill Broken Hill is an inland mining city in the far west of outback New South Wales, Australia. It is near the border with South Australia on the crossing of the Barrier Highway (A32) and the Silver City Highway (B79), in the Barrier Range. It ...

on the

Silver City Highway Silver City Highway is a highway that links Buronga, New South Wales to the Queensland border via Wentworth, Broken Hill, and Tibooburra, in the arid Far West region of New South Wales; a short branch also connects to Calder Highway on the ...

. At the time of the 2016 census, Milparinka had a population of 77 people. Milparinka is on Evelyn Creek. Summer temperatures can reach .

History

In 1844, Charles Sturt's expedition was stranded for six months at nearby Preservation Creek, owing to a lack of supplies. Gold was discovered in the 1870s and a rush commenced in 1880. The mostly-male population peaked at 3,000, with W.H.J. Slee being appointed the resident Goldfields Warden in January 1881.

Cobb & Co Cobb & Co was the name used by many successful sometimes quite independent Australian coaching businesses. The first was established in 1853 by American Freeman Cobb and his partners. The name Cobb & Co grew to great prominence in the late 19th ...

coaches ran three times a week from Milparinka to

Wilcannia Wilcannia is a small town located within the Central Darling Shire in north western New South Wales, Australia. Located on the Darling River, the town was the third largest inland port in the country during the river boat era of the mid-19th ce ...

on the

Darling River The Darling River (Paakantyi: ''Baaka'' or ''Barka'') is the third-longest river in Australia, measuring from its source in northern New South Wales to its conflu ence with the Murray River at Wentworth, New South Wales. Including its long ...

(the closest settlement, as

did not yet exist) and by August 1881 the official gold escort had carried about 10,000 ounces of gold from the field, not to mention that which went privately. Milparinka Hotel

In this arid region, water was so scarce that miners collected their gold by

dry blowing Dry blowing is a method to extract gold particles from dry soil without the use of water. A machine specialized to use this method is known as a dry blower. It is a form of winnowing. Methods *One method is to pour dry soil from a height into a ...

. Water was selling for one shilling per bucket and

dysentery Dysentery (UK pronunciation: , US: ), historically known as the bloody flux, is a type of gastroenteritis that results in bloody diarrhea. Other symptoms may include fever, abdominal pain, and a feeling of incomplete defecation. Complications ...

was rife, until in September 1881, on the recommendation of W.H.J. Slee, the New South Wales government authorised the drilling of a well. In December 1881, the government well struck water at 140 feet, which caused great relief to all. At its height, Milparinka had a newspaper, a

police office A police station (sometimes called a "station house" or just "house") is a building which serves to accommodate police officers and other members of staff. These buildings often contain offices and accommodation for personnel and vehicles, al ...

, a chemist shop, two butchers, a courthouse (1886), a

school A school is an educational institution designed to provide learning spaces and learning environments for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is sometimes co ...

(1883), a hospital (1889) and four

hotel A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. Facilities provided inside a hotel room may range from a modest-quality mattress in a small room to large suites with bigger, higher-quality beds, a dresser, a re ...

s. There was drought in 1884. In June 1902, a large meteorite landed at nearby Mt Brown.

Heritage listings

The ruins of the Albert Goldfield are listed on the

New South Wales State Heritage Register The New South Wales State Heritage Register, also known as NSW State Heritage Register, is a heritage list of places in the state of New South Wales, Australia, that are protected by New South Wales legislation, generally covered by the Heritag ...

Notes and references

External links

* for more information about Milparinka and the district Mining towns in New South Wales Parishes of Evelyn County Unincorporated Far West Region {{NewSouthWales-geo-stub