The following biography and photographs have been kindly supplied by Jeffrey Oates, whose wife is the great-granddaughter of Arthur Cranbrook Ashwin, a prospector/pastoralist of note in the Lake Darlot area in the late 1800’s until his death in 1930. This is his story-
Arthur Ashwin and Bill Thompson on Wonganoo Station heading off to Thompson’s Well
Arthur Cranbrook Ashwin was born on 12 November 1850 in Adelaide, South Australia.
He attended school in Adelaide and then Melbourne until his family relocated yet again
this time to Ballarat. There he was an apprentice coach builder for short time before he sought
work as a stockman in and around Ballarat. He ran away from home at age 15 to work as a
general hand on Bolwarrah Station, lasting five months before returning to Ballarat where he
worked casually in the cattle sales yards. During this time he also commenced fossicking for
gold along the Ballarat gold fields.
John Dillon’s Store, Darlot Town, Western Australia
During 1866/69 Arthur commenced working as a stockman and general hand on stations in
Victoria and out from Adelaide in South Australia. Then in 1870-71, Arthur joined an
overland expedition from South Australia to Port Darwin with Ralph Milner as a stockman ahead
of the telegraph line. After completing the expedition, Arthur remained in Darwin and he
commenced prospecting out from Darwin and in 1871 he was credited with finding the first
gold deposit ever discovered near Port Darwin at Pine Creek.
Banjo Well on Yelma Station
In 1872 Arthur journeyed on the schooner May King from Darwin to Fremantle and in Perth he was “fitted out” by the government to go gold prospecting in the New Norcia area north of Perth. Arthur is credited as being one of the first prospectors to discover gold on the Irwin River.
In 1873 Arthur moved back to Adelaide and then to Ballarat before moving on to the Palmer
goldfields out from Cooktown, Queensland to try his luck at prospecting, he remained there
for four years and then again returned to Ballarat where he again worked as a stockman and
general hand. In 1880 Arthur headed north from Ballarat to the Mt Brown goldfields and around Depot Glenn, Milparinka NSW and to Mt Poole, where in 1880 he was credited with finding gold
there which led to establishment of the Mt Poole diggings. In 1883 Arthur moved to Charters
Towers and then to Croydon, Queensland in 1886 prospecting and mining for gold.
We think this is possibly Alf Metzke and Arthur Ashwin operating a dry blower at Darlot
Arthur left Croydon and returned to Western Australia prospecting for gold in the eastern
Ashburton/Murchison/Gascoyne/lower Pilbara areas (he was one of the earliest prospectors
on the Pilbara) and the north eastern goldfields out from Coolgardie. Arthur was one of the
original prospectors in the Lake Darlot area in the 1890’s and in partnership with the Metzke
Brothers, Fisher and Hurst, pegged a mining lease at Lake Darlot, striking it rich which lead
to the establishment of the prosperous St George mine.
Back view of the Yelma Station homestead
In the late 1890’s and the 1900’s Arthur used his capital from his gold prospecting mining etc
to acquire pastoral leases in the area north of Lake Darlot, stocking it with cattle and horses,
thereby commencing his life as a pastoralist, which he always yearned to do. As well as
running his pastoral properties Arthur continued his prospecting and mining ventures in and
around the Lake Darlot area.
Homestead pool at Yelma Station
The stations he had were:
Darda.
Wonganoo (also spelt as Wonggannoo).
Yandal
Darlot/Yelma.
He also had an interest in an area known as Lorna Glenn north of Yelma, although at
that time it was not an established pastoral lease.
In the 1900’s Arthur purchased blocks of land in the newly established town site of
Woodarra (Darlot), builds a house on one and he established a general store in Woodarra
known as Dillon’s Store. Woodarra is now abandoned and the only remnant of the town is
the cemetery.
During the last years of his life Arthur sold and divested his interests in the pastoral
properties except Yelma which he held until his death. He died in the Government Hospital,
Kalgoorlie on 23 August 1930 in his 80th year from Arteriosclerosis and Cardiac Failure.
Arthur was buried in the Kalgoorlie Cemetery on 25 Aug 1930, his grave is number 7136 in the
Anglican Section B124. In March 2020 his descendants erected a memorial on the grave
which until then was unmarked.
Arthur C Ashwin – Kalgoorlie Cemetery
On Arthur’s Death Certificate it notes that Arthur lived in Queensland/South Australia for 20
years, Victoria for 19 years and 40 years in Western Australia.
For an account of Arthur’s pastoralist life, his reminiscences were published in a book called
“Gold to Grass” published by Hesperian Press in 2002. This publication is based on Arthur’s
notes and memories, letters he wrote to his brother Frank, various newspaper articles and
photos from the family collection.
A further publication by the Hesperian Press in 2017 titled “The Yelma Station Diary of Arthur Ashwinn for 1928”
Moya Sharp
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