Williamstown Chronicle (Vic. : 1856 - 1954), Saturday 4 October 1913, page 4


"MOONDYNE" The Secret of the Mountain of Gold, A Story of Early Western Australia. THE Life Story of JOE GILCHRIST, a convict, transported by the English Government to Western Australia, for some trivial offence, is one of the most stupendous and heroic portrayals of a man's' life-sufferings ever divulged to a public.Gilchrist was a man of wonderful personality and ability ; an' exemplary prisoner, and one whose conduct earned both the respect of the officials and his fellow convicts. His story is not mere' fiction, for it is a reasonably true account of the man and the conditions surrounding the convict life of that period, in Western Australia-which was then " Crown Colony and ruled by Military Despotism. Gilchrist, known as Convict 406-convicts were only known by numbers-has earned the enmity of a fellow prisoner, named Isaac Bowman for some cause unknown. Bowman, an utterly selfish brute, always seeking trouble, and of and of a designing and crafty nature, determines to wreck the prestige of the man he hates, and concocts a robbery from a Settler's Home, endeavouring to cast suspicion on Joe Gilchrist; his plot, however, fails and he is lashed at the triangle, while. Gilchrist counts the strokes . Later, having served his sentence, Bowman is released as a free settler , and takes up a selection, away back on the outskirts of the Vasse Valley. All free settlers had a right' to ,select a convict servant, known as a bondman, who was virtually the slave of his. master, and in his life's mission of revenge, Bowman selects Joe Gilchrist. For a term Gilchrist lived his life regardless of the brute man who was is master. One day, the nature of Joe cried "enough, and he struck his enemy down. This offence, by an assigned servant, meant the chain gang at Fremantle for life-one of the most hideous and dreaded of pun ishments so Joe took to the bush. Befriended by the Natives of the Vasse Valley, for years he lived ini heir stronghold; and was named by them "MOONDYNE," the Great White. Chief. We' must re mention that the Natives, when .visiting the more' populated: districts, were fieq~uently, s wearinig- crude * golden ornaments' Governor Hampton, .on the .28th June; 1848, issued a Pr amation offering £5000 .Reward- for the discovery of the', Mine from which the-:Natives of tI Vasse obtained their ,gold. The effect of this was fruitless;; but the Whites were ever on the lert to trace the source of this mysterious wealth. :, Moondyne,: as one, of the; Vasse Tr, has 'learnt the Secriet. 'One day, on the summit of the iranges, a Native, sees a Police. P rty, and knows their territory is 'endangered:; he':informs the Chief-Te-Mana'-Roa. Moondy e, with a party. ?. .: proceeds to investigate.: The party are ambushed and Moondyule is recai?tured, d to his horror ..once more discovers :his life's ,enemy," 'Bowm an, -who, retiredi from the: land has '-become :a'... Sergeant of Police. He is manacled to 'Bowman's'horse, and the cavalcade proceeds to re to ciilisation. On the road, Moondyne;, realising only:a living death before hi?arouses theu ' ty of Bowman and 'informs him he is in possession of the secret of the Mountain of .Gold- the ce is his free doni. Bowmaniaccepts, and effects the escape of Moondynei, nd! accompanies n to the Vasse Valley. She Chief, onh the return of Moondyne, agrees to respect his promise d discloses secret of the',Golden Mountain to Bowman,. but refuses to permit his departure. ater, howeve. Bowma, inithe absence of Moondyne, half kills the Chief, seies as mucii h gold as can carry and rides~off.' Moondyne-is'banished by the tribe, and rides for his revenge on the tro of his enemy.. I. + Bowman loses the track, and perishes on the verge of the plains, but not before oondyne has found him anid instead of killing, endeavours to succour Bowman with his last dr of water. NeIt morning, a Native discovers two forms :lying still upon the pla Moondyn lived to returifo the' Vase Valley and the le of h friendly Natives ____ _ __+