Sydney to Croydon (Northern Queensland) / An Interesting Account of a Journey to the Gulf Country with a Member of Parliament

(NORTHERN QUEENSLAND.)
An Interesting Account of a Journey to the Gulf Country with a Member of Parliament.
By “SALTBUSH.”
PRICE ... ONE SHILLING.
Sydney: “CAXTON” PRINTING WORKS, 247 GEORGE STREET. 1889.

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By “Saltbush.”
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HAVING received letters and telegrams from an old mate of mine who has been on the Croydon goldfield for some considerable time—in all of which communications he strongly advised me to pay a visit to the field in order that I might judge for myself as to its richness and permanency and its suitability for investment—it being in his opinion the grandest goldfield ever discovered in Northern Queensland. I finally decided to make the trip, and in company with a friend of mine, who with myself, had on a former occasion visited Normanton and the Gulf-country before Croydon was ever thought of, we started from Sydney on Monday, the 25th July, and as the incidents of our journey may prove interesting to many others who may visit the locality in the near future, I have ventured to jot down a few experiences and impressions picked up during the journey. We waited upon Messrs. Burns Philp and Co. in Sydney and made all arrangements as to return passage from Brisbane to Normanton, having decided to proceed overland from the capital of New South Wales to the capital of Queensland, my friend, who had never travelled that route, being particularly anxious to have a good look at the New England and Darling Downs country, more especially as I was pretty well acquainted with it, and could furnish him with some information concerning it that might be eventually both useful and profitable. Having packed our travelling trunks and various necessaries for the voyage, and confining ourselves to such articles as were absolutely indispensable, in order to make our “impedimenta” as light as possible—knowing from experience that too much luggage is a terrible handicap on a long journey—the first step was to secure berths on the Hunter River Steamship Company’s fine boat, “the Namoi,” which left the wharf at half-past eleven, for Newcastle. With the assistance of “Alick,” the well-known and genial bedroom steward, we secured a very comfortable cabin to ourselves on the upper deck, and a more obliging and attentive steward than the same Alick I never wish to drop across in my travels, as nothing seemed any trouble to him and he relieved us of all anxiety concerning our luggage by looking carefully after it whilst in transit on the steamer, and then, on our arrival at the coaly city, by conveying it on board the Northern train advertised to leave at a quarter-past seven, a.m., on the morning of the 26th.