Category: Golden Valley

Jane Mary Glass

There are moments that change history, and for the colony of Western Australia, one such moment occurred not in a boardroom or a parliament house, but at the lip of a muddy well on a remote pastoral station. In early 1887, a housewife named Jane Mary Glass made an accidental discovery that would ignite the Yilgarn gold rush and ultimately lead her colony toward the Federation of Australia. While her name is often overshadowed by the male prospectors who followed her, the story of Jane Glass is the true starting point of the Eastern Goldfields.1

Jane Mary Glass lived with her husband, Charles Glass Snr, at Mujakine station, located approximately 11 kilometres north-east of present-day Trayning. The Glasses were part of a tight-knit network of pioneering families who were pushing the boundaries of European settlement into the dry interior. Jane was closely connected to the Adams family of the famous Mangowine station; her brother-in-law (or relative) Charles Adams and his wife Jane had established their run in 1876, creating a social hub for the far-eastern district.2 3 4 5

Jane was a woman of significant family standing, later remembered by her many relatives as a “great aunt” who took immense pride in her role as a pioneer. In early 1887, the Glass family was preoccupied with the same struggle as every other settler in the Yilgarn: the desperate search for reliable water.6 7

The discovery itself was entirely serendipitous. Jane had discovered a drowned possum in the family well at Mujakine. Her son, Alex Glass, climbed down into the shaft to clean out the animal and deepen the well in hopes of reaching a better supply. As Alex scraped the mud from the bottom and filled a bucket, Jane hauled it to the surface.8 9

Jane and Alex clearing the well
as imagined by Nano Banana 2

While emptying the sludge, a glint caught her eye. Reaching into the mud, she pulled out a gold nugget. While others had found traces of gold in the South West previously, the location of this find, so far east, was a revelation. At the time, the government had offered a reward for the discovery of a payable goldfield near Perth, and the Glasses knew their lives were about to change. Jane and Charles Snr wasted no time, quickly preparing their horse and dray for the long journey to Perth to have the find officially verified. This trip became a victory lap for Jane. As they passed through the settlements of the Wheatbelt, she stopped to visit her numerous relatives, eagerly showing off the nugget. One anecdote recounts her exhorting the children of the family to look closely and always remember that it was their “great aunt” who had found the gold that would make the colony’s fortune.10

While Jane was the one with the keen eyes who spotted the treasure, the social and legal structures of 1887 meant the official recognition followed a different path. The government eventually awarded a £100 reward for the discovery of gold on the property, but it was paid to her husband, Charles Glass, rather than to Jane herself.

W.A. syndicate who discovered the Eastern Goldfields, Oct 1887
Charles Glass is shown bottom right. Jane is not mentioned.11

However, the impact of her find was immediate. The confirmation of her nugget prompted the Newcastle and Northam Settlers Association to commission prospectors to examine the area. This led directly to the formation of the first major prospecting syndicates, including the party of Harry Anstey, Dick Greaves, and Ted Payne, as well as their rival, Bernard Norbert Colreavy. By December 1887, Colreavy had discovered the Kathleen reef in Golden Valley, and the Yilgarn rush was officially underway.12 13

The historical significance of Jane Glass’s discovery cannot be overstated. The Yilgarn rush she sparked led directly to the discovery of Southern Cross, then Coolgardie, and finally the “Golden Mile” at Kalgoorlie. This massive influx of “t’Othersiders” (miners from the eastern colonies) shifted the political landscape of Western Australia. These new arrivals campaigned heavily for the colony to join the Australian Federation, a movement that might have failed without the economic boom triggered by Jane’s well.14

Today, the site of her discovery is marked by the White Man Rock Well. Although the well is now fenced and somewhat overgrown, it remains a monument to a housewife’s keen eyes and the moment a drowned possum helped build a state. Jane Mary Glass remains a foundational figure for local history and genealogy enthusiasts, representing the often-unseen women who were present at the very birth of the West Australian goldfields.

White Man Rock Well15

Source

  1. Sharp, Moya (2016) Golden Valley – The Early Days. Retrieved 27 Mar 2026 from https://www.outbackfamilyhistoryblog.com/golden-valley-by-kevin-moran/ ↩︎
  2. ibid ↩︎
  3. Explorers’ Wells and Tracks Project (n.d.) White Man Rock Well. Retrieved 27 Mar 2026 from https://wellsandtracks.com.au/wells/pioneer-wells/white-man-rock-well/ ↩︎
  4. Heritage Council of Western Australia (1996) Register of Heritage Places – Assessment : Southern Cross Post Office. p.3. Retrieved 27 Mar 2026 from https://inherit.dplh.wa.gov.au/admin/api/file/f890bda6-c195-71f8-72ad-b2e154bbb8cc ↩︎
  5. Wrigley, Matthew (2023). Water in the context of colonisation in the Goldfields. Retrieved 27 Mar 2026 from https://wangka.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Water-in-the-Context-of-Colinisation-in-the-Goldfields-Matt-Wrigley.pdf ↩︎
  6. Sharp (2016): refers to lack of water supply ↩︎
  7. Heritage Council (1996): refers to lack of water supply ↩︎
  8. ibid: refers to Glass and Colreavy ↩︎
  9. Sharp (2016): refers to gold discovery ↩︎
  10. ibid ↩︎
  11. State Library of Western Australia (n.d.) Collection of photographs form the Royal Western Australian Historical Society; BA1886/543. Published in the West Australian 18 Mar 1933, p.5. Retrieved 27 Mar 2026 from https://encore.slwa.wa.gov.au/iii/encore/record/C__Rb1976225 ↩︎
  12. DEATH OF MR. COLREAVY. (1893, November 15). Bunbury Herald (WA : 1892 – 1919), p. 3. Retrieved March 27, 2026, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article87084401 ↩︎
  13. Shire of Yilgarn (n.d.) Golden Valley: Township of Knutsford. Retrieved 27 Mar 2026 from https://visit.yilgarn.wa.gov.au/Profiles/visit/Assets/ClientData/Documents/New_Brochures/Golden_Valley.pdf ↩︎
  14. Moran, Kevin (2000). Sand and Stone: the social history of Western Australia as recorded by the pioneer police of the eastern frontiers (vol 1 of 2). Frickers International Publishing, Perth WA. (available in the FamilyHistoryWA library) ↩︎
  15. Explorers’ Wells and Tracks Project (n.d.) White Man Rock Well. Image retrieved 27 Mar 2026 from https://wellsandtracks.com.au/wells/pioneer-wells/white-man-rock-well/ ↩︎

The Yilgarn Goldfield

The Unsung Pioneer of the Yilgarn: The Story of Richard Greaves

The history of Western Australia is inextricably linked to the glitter of gold. While names like Bayley and Ford often dominate the narrative of the great 1890s rushes, the foundations of these discoveries were laid years earlier by men whose names are less frequently celebrated. One such figure was Richard Greaves, a Victorian miner whose grit and keen eye for geology helped unlock the Yilgarn goldfield, paving the way for the legendary wealth of Coolgardie and Kalgoorlie.

The Early Spark of Discovery

Before the Yilgarn was even on the map, Western Australia’s golden potential was largely a series of rumors and small-scale finds. The first “payable” quantity of gold was discovered in 1881 by Phillip Saunders on the Mary River in Kimberley. Though the Kimberley field was never a massive producer, it proved that the state held more than just traces of gold, acting as a magnet for experienced prospectors from the eastern colonies.

Among these arrivals was Richard Greaves. He landed in Western Australia in 1885 at the age of 35, bringing with him a lifetime of experience gained by following his father through the famous Victorian gold rushes. For a time, he worked as a plasterer in Perth, but the call of the “outback” was too strong to ignore.

The Lawrence Syndicate and the Trek East

In 1887, Greaves’ life took a pivotal turn when he met William Lawrence, a Perth boatbuilder who had seen promising gold specimens from the north. Lawrence, sensing an opportunity, formed a high-profile syndicate to fund an expedition. This group included several prominent Perth citizens, such as Dr. Scott (the Mayor of Perth) and future Premier George Leake.

The expedition was led by Harry Anstey, a metallurgist. Greaves and his partner, Edward Payne, were the hands-on prospectors. The terms were modest: thirty shillings a week, food, and a one-eighth share of any find. On July 5, 1887, the party set out from St. George’s Terrace in Perth, equipped with a specialized dray and a water tank, heading toward the unknown beyond the Toodyay ranges.

July 15, 1887: A Fateful Discovery

The journey was not easy. The party met other prospectors, like a man named Colreavy, who were so discouraged they urged Anstey’s team to turn back. However, Greaves and Payne pushed forward to Enuin, then part of George Lukin’s station.

The breakthrough occurred on the slopes of the Yilgarn Range. Greaves later recounted the moment they found a “floater” (a piece of ore detached from the main reef). As he and Payne worked the outcrop, they realized the magnitude of their find:

  • The First Speck: Payne spotted a visible speck of gold in a sample.
  • The “Half-Solid” Gold: Greaves turned over another piece of rock with his pick, discovering it was nearly half solid gold.
  • The Reef: Within ten minutes, they located the main reef, finding quartz heavily studded with the precious metal.

This was the first payable gold ever found in the Eastern Goldfields.

Controversy and the “Cordelia” Mine

While the find was historic, it was also the source of long-standing bitterness. The Western Australian Government paid a £500 reward for the discovery, but it went to Harry Anstey as the leader of the party. Greaves later claimed he was the actual discoverer, but his official claim for recognition was rejected by the Mines Department on the grounds that he was a “paid servant” of the syndicate.

Greaves’ luck with official recognition didn’t improve. After the Enuin find, he and Payne discovered another rich outcrop about 12 miles away, which Greaves named the Cordelia mine. To mark the site, he dragged a log over the reef and set it on fire, leaving a heap of ashes as a marker.

For “old time’s sake,” Greaves shared the location of the Cordelia with Colreavy, the man he had met earlier on the trail. Shortly after, Colreavy announced a discovery at a place he called Golden Valley, which Greaves insisted was his Cordelia mine. Colreavy received a government reward; Greaves did not.

The Path to Coolgardie

Perhaps the most poignant part of Greaves’ story is how close he came to discovering Coolgardie. While at Enuin, an Aboriginal woman named Maggie told him of a place called “Coolgoon,” where she claimed there was “plenty of similar stuff”.

Greaves intended to investigate, but his health failed him. After multiple operations and being forced to wear a “leather waistcoat” for support, he attempted to return to the field but was too weak to continue. He was forced to turn back just as Bayley and Ford—who were eventually guided by native locals—made the find that would “stagger the world”.

Legacy of a Prospector

Richard Greaves never achieved the immense wealth that his discoveries generated for the state. He eventually found a quieter life as the caretaker of the James-street school and gained a reputation as a champion rifle-shot.

Richard Greaves

He died in 1916, but his 1903 book detailing his experiences ensures that his role in the Yilgarn—and his hand in the first reef found in the Eastern Goldfields—remains a matter of historical record. For history enthusiasts and casual readers alike, Greaves represents the thousands of “forgotten” miners whose persistence built the foundations of modern Western Australia.

Editor’s Note: This story was taken from an article that appeared in The West Australian on 2 July, 1936.1 If it interests you, then I recommend that you read the story in full on Trove.

  1. (1936, July 2). The West Australian (Perth, WA : 1879 – 1954), p. 14. Retrieved January 27, 2026, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-page3691361 ↩︎