<P> Thousands of men made their way to the Kimberley from other parts of WA, the eastern colonies, and New Zealand . Most arrived by ship in Derby or Wyndham, and then walked to Halls Creek . Others came overland from the Northern Territory . Most had no previous experience in gold prospecting or of life in the bush . Illness and disease were rife, and when the first warden, C.D. Price, arrived on 3 September 1886, he found that "great numbers were stricken down, in a dying condition, helpless, destitute of money, food, or covering, and without mates or friends simply lying down to die". A few were lucky enough to locate rich alluvial or reef gold, but most had little or no success . </P> <P> In the early days of the gold rush no records or statistics were recorded for either the arrivals or deaths . Also no - one knows how many died trying to get to Halls Creek across the waterless desert, or how many simply turned back . When men actually arrived at Halls Creek, dysentery, scurvy, sun - stroke and thirst continued to take its toll . The Government applied a gold tax of two shillings and sixpence an ounce . It was a very unpopular levy as gold proved so hard to get . The diggers avoided registering and the Government had a great deal of trouble collecting the tax or statistics of any kind . </P> <P> When the first warden C.D. Price arrived in September 1886 he reported that about 2,000 remained at the diggings . By the end of 1886 the rush had ceased . When in May 1888 the government considered claims for the reward for discovery of the first payable goldfield, it was decided that the Kimberley goldfield, which had proven disappointing, and no reward was paid out as the field had not met the stipulated conditions of a yield of at least 10,000 ounces (280 kg) of gold in a 2 - year period passing through Customs or shipped to England . (It is estimated that as much as 23,000 ounces (650 kg) of gold was taken from the fields around Halls Creek, but with much leaving the field through the Northern Territory .) Hardman's contribution was recognised, however, with a gift of £ 500 to his widow Louisa Hardman . Another £ 500 was given to Charles Hall and his party . </P> <P> 1887 saw the first discovery of gold in what was to be the huge Eastern Goldfields region . Gold - bearing quartz was found near Lake Deborah in the Yilgarn Hills north of what was to become the town of Southern Cross in October 1887 by the party of Harry Francis Anstey . Anstey and his party were prospecting in the area after having heard that a farmer had found a gold nugget in the Yilgarn while sinking a bore . Others in his party were Dick Greaves and Ted Paine, with Ted Paine being the first to see the gold . As a result of this find Anstey and one of his backers George Leake, the then Solicitor - General and future Premier of Western Australia, were in November 1887 granted a 60,000 acre (24,280 hectare) mining concession for prospecting purposes . </P>

Where did the gold rush take place in australia