1870s

This is a handwritten notice, the body of which is in Chinese characters, informing Chinese miners about the 'Gold Fields Regulations' and 'Gold Fields Act'. The notice is 15 columns wide with approximately 25 characters running down each column. Below the heading, in smaller script, is written 'By Order / of the Commissioner / J.G. McDonald Esqre / Charters-Towers / May 1st 1873' and 'Translated by / James McHenley / Anglo-Chinese Linguist'. The edges of the paper are worn in places and there are pin holes in each corner. Acknowledgements: Reproduced courtesy of State Library of Queensland. Written by James McHenley. - This translated notice was meant to inform the rapidly increasing numbers of Chinese miners of the mining regulations in force in 1873 on the Charters Towers goldfield. - The majority of Chinese miners would not have been able to read this notice because they came from impoverished backgrounds such as farming, where literacy rates in terms of written characters were low. - Many people on the gold fields at the time, including the Chinese miners, could not read or write. Anyone reading, translating or scribing for somebody else had to be trustworthy, as they were relied upon to be accurate and honest. - As indicated on the notice, the law in operation on Qld gold fields in 1873 was the 'Gold Fields Act', a New South Wales Act dating from 1857, and its accompanying regulations. - In 1873 the official in charge of administering the Act and regulations at Charters Towers was Commissioner J G McDonald and, as the image shows, he ordered that this notice be prepared. - The 'Anglo-Chinese Linguist' who prepared this notice was James McHenley who, after graduating from a Scottish university, had studied Canton dialects and the written Chinese language at a college in China for three years. Source: fusecontent.education.vic.gov.au/d15f22e5-8ec2-4747-9c55-...

More information on the Museums of History NSW - State Archives Collection's version - From the date it might well be photographed by Charles Pickering, under the instruction of James Barnet (?).

Spectacular

50 years later with human improvements
via Museums of History NSW - State Archives Collection