Thomas Hiscock

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Thomas Hiscock, University of Ballarat Historical Collection

Background

Thomas Hiscock was born in 1812 at Shinfield near Reading, Berkshire, England.[1]

Hiscock arrived at Geelong with his wife and two sons[2] on board the Caroline.[3] He married Phoebe Blanchard of Hampshire at Shifield on 09 April 1833. [4]Thomas obtained employment as a blacksmith of Mr Goldsmith’s station at Trawalla. In 1844, after about three years at Trawalla Station he set up as a blacksmith, wheelwright and storekeeper at Buninyong, possibly taking over from scotty McLachlan. [5]

Thomas Hiscock memorial, University of Ballarat Historical Collection

Hiscock and his son, Thomas, and John Thomas went in search of gold in 1851 after reports of John Hargreaves find. On 2 August 1851 they went in a westerly direction examining the outcrops as they went. They were successful, the gold being sold to Mr Patterson, a jeweller at Geelong. Hiscock announced his discovery in the Geelong advertiser on 10 August 1851.[6]

Hiscock first dug for gold at Golden Point, and was listed as being a Ballarat pioneer who was resident in the Ballarat district before the first Gold licence issue, on 20 September 1851. Hiscock was rewarded £1000 for discovery of gold at Ballarat in August 1851. [7]

'Sketch of the Ballarat Goldfield, 1851, University of Ballarat Historical Collection.

Thomas caught a cold while visiting the rush at Mt Alexander, and died. He is buried at Buninyong Cemetery. [8]


Obituary

We regret to announce the death of Mr Thomas Hiscock, of Buninyong, who expired on Monday, the 26th instant, at his residence. Mr Hiscock it will be remembered, was one of the first discoverers of gold in Victoria, and has gone down to his grave honoured by his friends, and appreciated by the people of the Western District, upon whom, in conjunction with the colony at large, he conferred inestimable services by pioneering the way to the development of Ballarat, by the discovery of the Buninyong diggings. He has left a disconsolate widow and family, unprovided for, to mourn the loss of a good father, in whom the colony is bereft of a sterling citizen, who leaves behind him a fame for a widow's and family's support, and a hope that the sum which was voted to him by the Legislative Council, will be apportioned by the Government to his relict, and dependent family.[9]

Goldfields Involvement, 1854

Post 1854 Experiences

He was residing at Buninyong in the 1880s.[10]


In The News

Gates to the Buninyong Cemetery, 2011. Photograph: Clare Gervasoni
VICTORIA and EUREKA STORE, Learmonth street. BUNINYONG.-THOMAS HISCOCK, HAVING opened the Above store, with an ample stock or requisites for the Diggings, begs to solicit the attention of his Old friends, the Diggers, and hopes to he favoured with a share of their patronage. THOMAS HISCOCK would remind the public or Victoria, that he was the FIRST DISCOVERER of Gold at Buninyong. [11]


Obituary. - It is with sincere regret that we have to record the death of Mrs. Hiscock, relict of the late Mr. William Hiscock, and a resident of Kew for 40 years. The deceased lady, who had attained the age of 78 years, passed away at her eldest son's residence, Middle Brighton, on Sunday, 13th inst, after a brief illness. She was held in the highest esteem by a large circle of friends. The family consists of four sons - Cr. W. G. Hiscock (mayor of Kew), and Messrs. Percy, William, and Thomas Hiscock, for whom the utmost sympathy is expressed in their bereavement. The funeral took place on the following Monday, councillors of the borough joining in the cortege to the Kew cemetery. At the council meeting on Tuesday, Crs. Atkyns and Wishart spoke with feeling at the loss sustained by the mayor, and a vote of condolence was passed.[12]


PASSING OF A PIONEER. - The Benalla (Vic.) 'Standard' publishes the following: — The last chapter in connection with the history of the discovery of gold in Victoria ended on Sunday last, when Mrs. Elizabeth Hiscock, relict of the late Mr. H. E. Hiscock of the 'Stadard'office, died at the residence of her daughter (Mrs. H. Trezase), at Balarat. Born in Clerkenwell, England, in February, 1837, she was the daughter of the late E. Thomas, lapidist, and came to Australia with her mother, brothers and sisters, in 1849, in the sailing ship Caroline Agnes. The voyage, which occupied over six months, the vessel being becalmed for some weeks on the equator, proved a very stormy one, and the ship was posted at Lloyd's in London as lost. On arrival in Victoria the family settled for a time in Melbourne, and in 1850 removed to Buninyong. The journey by bullock waggon was undertaken the week following Black Thursday, whilst the forests were still smouldering. Four years later, in 1854, she was married by the late Rev. Thomas Hastie, Presbyterian clergyman — he being the only minister in that district at the time — to Mr. Thomas Hiscock, who arrived in Victoria in 1847, in the sailing ship, Caroline. Mrs. Hiscock had many interesting reminiscences to relate of the early days of Ballarat, as she was there, before, and during, the exciting times of the gold rush. She was the first woman to handle the first specimen of gold found in Victoria, in 1851. Her husband, his father, and her brother, Mr. John Thomas, had been out looking for lost cattle on August 4, 1851, at a place now called Hiscock's, near Buninyong, when Mr. Thomas Hiscock senior, picked up the first specimen of gold, which led to the famous Ballarat diggings. Mrs. Hiscock described the excitement of the party when they returned with the news of their discovery, and would relate with pride her pleasure at being the first woman to handle it. For this important discovery the Government awarded Mr. Hiscock the sum of £1000, together with a gold cup. An obelisk, erected by the local council how marks the spot where the gold was found. News of the Hiscock 's discovery quickly spread over the colony, and to other parts of the world, and soon thousands of men were streaming to the new diggings. Ballarat became a city or tents and from those stirring times Mrs. Hiscock has been privileged to watch its growth until it is now known as the Garden City of the South, and the most important provincial city in Victoria. Mr. Hiscock, senior, died four years after the discovery, and over his remains in the Buninyong cemetery was erected a monument bearing the following inscription:— In Memory of Thomas Hiscock, A.D. 1855, Aged 44 Years. Hiscock, thy name and fame will yet arise Tho' crumbled in the dust thy mortal frame; Like all true merit, which is seen to rise . Surmount tho world, with never ending fame.[13]

See also

Further Reading

Corfield, J.,Wickham, D., & Gervasoni, C. The Eureka Encyclopaedia, Ballarat Heritage Services, 2004.


References

  1. Corfield, J.,Wickham, D., & Gervasoni, C. The Eureka Encyclopaedia, Ballarat Heritage Services, 2004.
  2. Wickham, D., Gervasoni, C. & Phillipson, W., Eureka Research Directory, Ballarat Heritage Services, 1999.
  3. Corfield, J.,Wickham, D., & Gervasoni, C. The Eureka Encyclopaedia, Ballarat Heritage Services, 2004.
  4. Corfield, J.,Wickham, D., & Gervasoni, C. The Eureka Encyclopaedia, Ballarat Heritage Services, 2004.
  5. Wickham, D., Gervasoni, C. & Phillipson, W., Eureka Research Directory, Ballarat Heritage Services, 1999.
  6. Wickham, D., Gervasoni, C. & Phillipson, W., Eureka Research Directory, Ballarat Heritage Services, 1999.
  7. Wickham, D., Gervasoni, C. & Phillipson, W., Eureka Research Directory, Ballarat Heritage Services, 1999.
  8. Wickham, D., Gervasoni, C. & Phillipson, W., Eureka Research Directory, Ballarat Heritage Services, 1999.
  9. Geelong Advertiser, 28 July 1855.
  10. Wickham, D., Gervasoni, C. & Phillipson, W., Eureka Research Directory, Ballarat Heritage Services, 1999.
  11. Geelong Advertiser, 23 December 1852.
  12. Box Hill Reporter, 25 February 1910.
  13. Wagga Wagga Daily Advertiser, 25 October 1922.

External links