William Tom

William Tom (1791 – 1883) farmer, gold discoverer

William Tom (1791-1883), farmer and Methodist leader, was born on 25 May 1791 on a farm at Blisland, Cornwall, England. In December 1817 he married Ann Lane (1796-1870) and in 1823 he and his wife, three children and a nephew, with his brother-in-law William Lane and his wife and two children, sailed in the Betty Ann to Sydney where they arrived in the Jupiter in November.

After a few months at Parramatta Tom obtained a grant at Tarana, but he found that the trees were hard to burn and moved to Sidmouth Valley and thence to Wallaroi, near Bathurst, where he managed for John Hassall. When the country west of the Macquarie River was opened for settlement he and his two elder sons, now hardy and self-reliant bush boys, went exploring and found good land eleven miles (18 km) east of Orange. There in 1830 he took up land which he named Springfield, and it was granted to him six years later with additional leasehold. William Lane also took up land not far away at Orton Park, which he named after Rev. Joseph Orton.

At Springfield Tom first built a lath and plaster house of four rooms, with a loft for the boys and their tutor, George Hawke. In the early 1830s he was joined by other Wesleyans from Cornwall: two brothers of William Lane, and John Glasson; other Glassons followed later. The district was named the Cornish Settlement. Its religious leader was ‘Parson’ Tom, as he was known far and wide. Until 1842, when a solid and elaborate little steepled stone church was built by the Cornishmen who were skilled stonemasons, Tom conducted services on Bethel Rock. Orton visited them in 1832 and appointed Tom leader of the first Methodist class west of the mountains. Tom preached as far afield as Molong, at the home of his daughter Mary, who in 1842 had married John Smith (1811-1895), a Cornishman, landowner and later member of the Legislative Council.

During a visit in 1834 Orton discussed with Tom, Lane, Hawke and John Glasson the appointment of a minister and erection of a chapel at Bathurst, and in May 1836 Rev. Frederick Lewis arrived, the first resident Methodist minister west of the mountains; a chapel was opened at Bathurst in 1837.

In the early 1840s the older ones among William Tom’s hardy sons, now eight in number, the youngest named Wesley, began droving stock west and south-west. John (1820-1895) and William (1823-1904) drove cattle to Gippsland and took up a run known as Tom’s Camp. In 1847 Henry (1827-1896) and Nicholas (1829-1888) bought cattle at Mudgee to drove to Adelaide but met James Tyson, who persuaded them to squat at Booligal, where they remained in occupation with their father as a partner until 1858 when they sold out for £25,000. At various times the brothers also held Tom’s Lake, Borambil, Huntawong, Gunningbland, Wilga and Cowl-Cowl.

https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/tom-william-2737

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Going for Gold

In a little over a month the Paris Olympics begin. Reflecting on the Sydney Olympics in 2000 it is interesting to know where the gold for the Sydney Olympic Gold Medals came from. It came from the Orange district especially Ophir named after the many Biblical references to fine gold.

Ophir’s Gold Heart

The first gold nugget found in 1851 was by a Christian family member William Tom and his brother James, two sons of Pastor Tom as well as their friend John Lister.

Pastor Tom preached from Pulpit Rock at Byng especially among the Wesleyan Cornish settlers. Please watch this three minute video scrolling down to Australian National Days of Prayer which outlines a remarkable day of prayer and fasting in 1838 where the severe drought was broken but only within seven miles around Byng Cornish settlement prayed!

As the first payable gold found in Australia, Edward Hargraves received the reward though the Tom brothers first found the precious metal along with John Lister.

Earlier discoveries of gold had been made by Europeans such as the convicts building the road over the Blue Mountains in 1814. As the government didn’t want this disclosed threats of punishment were made to them. Apparently some were flogged to make an impression on the convicts to not spread the word!

For further information these four links help.

Ophir’s Gold Heart – Storyplace

Australian gold rushes – Students | Britannica Kids | Homework Help

Olympic Medals Minted in Australia | Treasury Ministers & Sydney 2000 Olympic Medals – Design, History & Photos (olympics.com)
Also a self published book written by Orange resident Robert Bartlett “A History of Australia’s First Goldfield. First Gold Ophir NSW”

Going for Gold

Reflecting on the Sydney Olympics in 2000 it is interesting to know where the gold for the Sydney Olympic Gold Medals came from.

It came from the Orange district especially Ophir named after the many Biblical references to fine gold.

Ophir’s Gold Heart

The first gold nugget found in 1851 was by a Christian family member William Tom and his brother James, two sons of Pastor Tom as well as their friend John Lister.

As the first payable gold found in Australia, Edward Hargraves received the reward though the Tom brothers first found the precious metal along with John Lister.

For further information these four links help.

Ophir’s Gold Heart – Storyplace

Australian gold rushes – Students | Britannica Kids | Homework Help

Olympic Medals Minted in Australia | Treasury Ministers & Sydney 2000 Olympic Medals – Design, History & Photos (olympics.com)
Also a self published book written by Orange resident Robert Bartlett “A History of Australia’s First Goldfield. First Gold Ophir NSW”

Edward Hargraves
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Hargraves

William Tom
https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Tom-96

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