<P> There is no doubt that Henry Frencham, under the pen - name of "Bendigo", was the first to publicly write anything about gold - mining at Bendigo Creek, with a report about a meeting of miners at Bendigo Creek on 8 and 9 December 1851, published respectively in the Daily News, Melbourne, date unknown and 13 December 1851 editions of the Geelong Advertiser and The Argus, Melbourne . It was Frencham's words, published in The Argus of 13 December 1851 that were to begin the Bendigo Goldrush: "As regards the success of the diggers, it is tolerably certain the majority are doing well, and few making less than half an ounce per man per day ." </P> <P> In late November 1851 some of the miners at Castlemaine (Forest Creek), having heard of the new discovery of gold, began to move to Bendigo Creek joining those from the Mount Alexander North (Ravenswood) Run who were already prospecting there . The beginnings of this gold - mining was reported from the field by Henry Frencham, under the pen - name of "Bendigo", who stated that the new field at Bendigo Creek, which was at first treated as if it were an extension of the Mount Alexander or Forest Creek (Castlemaine) rush, was already about two weeks old on 8 December 1851 . Frencham reported then about 250 miners on the field (not counting hut - keepers). On 13 December Henry Frencham's article in The Argus was published announcing to the world that gold was abundant in Bendigo . Just days later, in mid-December 1851 the rush to Bendigo had begun, with a correspondent from Castlemaine for the Geelong Advertiser reported on 16 December 1851 that "hundreds are on the wing thither (to Bendigo Creek)". </P> <P> Henry Frencham may not have been the first person to find gold at Bendigo but he was the first person to announce to the authorities (28 November 1851) and then the world ("The Argus", 13 December 1851) the existence of the Bendigo gold - field . He was also the first person to deliver a quantity of payable gold from the Bendigo gold - field to the authorities when on 28 December 1851, 3 days after the 603 men, women and children then working the Bendigo gold - field had pooled their food resources for a combined Christmas dinner, Frencham and his partner Robert Atkinson, with Trooper Synott as an escort, delivered 30 lbs of gold that they had mined to Assistant Commissioner Charles J.P. Lydiard at Forest Creek (Castlemaine), the first gold received from Bendigo . </P> <Ul> <Li> Araluen, September 1851 (Araluen & Bells Creek) </Li> <Li> Braidwood, October 1851 (Majors Creek) </Li> <Li> Bell's Point on the Bell River, November 1851 </Li> <Li> Tuena, November 1851 </Li> </Ul>

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