James Tom, together with John Lister, is one of the first but uncredited discoverers of payable gold in Australia.Edward Hargraves is generally regarded as the first to officially discover gold in Australia. Hargraves enlisted the assistance of John Lister and James Tom, men who had already found gold in the region. Lister and Tom led Hargraves directly to where gold was found, at Summerhill Creek, at a site which Hargraves named "Ophir".Hargraves has been credited with the discovery ever since, even though, by rights, credit should go to Lister. An enquiry in 1887 proved that John Hardmann Lister and James Tom were the first one to find gold in Australia.
Edward Hargraves was led to the right location to find gold by John Lister.
John Lister and William Tom were with Edward Hargraves when he discovered the first payable gold in Australia.
The first official discovery of payable gold near Bathurst, NSW, was made by Edward Hargraves in 1851. Hargraves was assisted by John Lister, a man who had already found gold in the region. Lister led Hargraves directly to where gold was found, at Summerhill Creek, at a site which Hargraves named "Ophir".
John Lister is famous for being the assistant of Edward Hargraves, on his findong of gold.
Edward Hargraves found gold at Summerhill Creek.
Edward Hargraves did not have a work partner, but he enlisted the help of John Lister and William Tom. Lister and Tom were the men who really found gold at Ophir, but Hargraves was the one who was given the credit.
Edward Hargraves did not have a work partner, but he enlisted the help of John Lister and William Tom. Lister and Tom were the men who really found gold at Ophir, but Hargraves was the one who was given the credit.
Edward Hargraves named the place where he, Tom Lister and the Tom brothers 'Ophir'.
Edward Hargraves, though credited with finding the first payable gold in Australia, was not the one who actually did the work and the digging. He employed John Lister to find the gold.Regardless, the time between when Hargraves returned to Australia and Lister found gold (using knowledge and technology Hargraves had brought from California) was only about one month. Hargraves returned to Australia in January 1851, and found gold with Lister's help on 12 February, although the official announcement was not made until May of that year.
Hargraves had some experience with gold prospecting in California, although not a lot of success. He noted similarities in the topology and geology of the countryside west of Sydney compared to that of the Californian goldfields. Logically speaking, he believed the Australian landscape should also contain gold. Hargraves enlisted the assistance of John Lister, a man who had already found gold in the region. Lister led Hargraves directly to where gold was found, at Summerhill Creek, at a site which Hargraves named "Ophir". Hargraves instructed Lister and two brothers, James and William Tom, in panning and mining techniques he had learned in California, and their persistence paid handsome dividends with the discovery of substantial gold.
Hargraves had some experience with gold prospecting in California, although not a lot of success. He noted similarities in the topology and geology of the countryside west of Sydney compared to that of the Californian goldfields. Logically speaking, he believed the Australian landscape should also contain gold. Hargraves enlisted the assistance of John Lister, a man who had already found gold in the region. Lister led Hargraves directly to where gold was found, at Summerhill Creek, at a site which Hargraves named "Ophir". Hargraves instructed Lister and two brothers, James and William Tom, in panning and mining techniques he had learned in California, and their persistence paid handsome dividends with the discovery of substantial gold.