Lewis was a member of Sir Thomas Mitchell’s party when they passed through Guyong in 1835 and previously. Mitchell presumably named the creek, a series of ponds then, after Lewis. In 1815 Lewis had been a superindentant of convicts that built the first road over the Blue Mountains in 1815.

There is a marvellous old creek on Godolphin
With a history that’s largely untold
But it’s famous in our nations creation
For it lead to the discovery of gold

In Springtime it gurgles and gushes
And ferrets its way in and out
Sweeping new little holes and crevasses
That makes homes for small creatures and trout

It goes sleepy and slowly in Summer
And its coolness refreshes the soul
As kids we were sweaty and fractious
And loved to skinny dip in a favourite hole

In the Autumn its relaxed and redolent
With the fallen leaves of the deciduous trees
we have imported from faraway places
A reminder of a home overseas

In Winter it renews its gurgling vigour
Its crystal clear water is cold
We keep hoping it will do us a favour
And turn up a nugget of gold

It was this creek that made Hargraves famous
On its banks he panned for Australia’s first gold
But he left it to the Tom boys and John Lister
To create the story that has little been told

Of how he left them to sluice with the cradle
While he went back to the city alone
Believing the riches he saw in California
Would never be realized at home

But the boys from Byng and old Guyong
Had the stubborn persistence of hounds
When they finally discovered the treasure
It was this creek that had washed it aground

at Ophir, with the creek’s Summer Hill sister
It lay on a reef for their eyes to behold
They at once alerted their mentor in Sydney,
They had discovered the gold

Now Hargraves lost no time in advising
The Governor in Old Sydney Town
That he alone was deserving the credit
His reward was nigh on ten thousand pound

The brothers and Lister protested
While Hargraves and the lawyers made hay
Nearly 50 years later they paid them
Just a week after Old John passed away.

So remember the pursuit of such riches
As the Tom boys and John lister would speak
Is a source of complaints and lifes’ bitches
Better just enjoy the dear old Lewis Ponds Creek

3 Responses to “Lewis Ponds Creek and the discovery of Gold …. Samuel Hill”

1. Graeme Rowe says:

   January 20, 2012 at 10:53 pm

   “Lewis was a member of Sir Thomas Mitchell’s party when they passed through Guyong in 1835 and previously. Mitchell presumably named the creek, a series of ponds then, after Lewis.”

   I wouldn’t think that is a safe assumption. 1835 is pretty late – the area was well explored and settled prior to 1835. It would be nice to know when Lewis Ponds name was first used or appeared.

   Richard LEWIS had been in the area with EVANS 1814 and Oxley 1817. May have farmed in the area 1817-28 and generally worked with the Cox, Lawson and Blackman families doing local development and exploration opening land to the north of Bathurst to Mudgee.

   I’m a descendant of Richard LEWIS, companion to GW Evans 1814, foreman to Cox 1815, first Superintendent of Bathurst 1815-24 and first family west of the Great Divide 1817.

   I have a reference that they lived at Lewis Creek (The Story of Bathurst). I don’t know if that is a fact or an assumption. LEWIS had several grants and purchased at least one property (the details I’m yet to determine). One grant was described as ‘Capita’ (or maybe Capata) and being 10 miles north of Bathurst.

   I’m not yet certain of my facts yet (my quest is just 9 months old). If you know of ‘Capita’ as a property or a location I would be interested to know.

2. steve prior says:

   December 31, 2014 at 2:15 pm

   Richard Lewis is my gggg grandfather there is a lot more to his story I believe Mary Ann Roberts was aboriginal & he had a friendship & help of the aboriginal people in the finding of the western plains the construction of the first road to Bathurst then the founding of the Bathurst & Mudgee areas it says in gov Macquarie journals the first time he went to check on Richard Lewis progress with the growing of wheat to start a colony he was greeted by Richard with two aboriginal males & six aboriginal children wearing white people clothing he did alot more than he is given credit for Mudgee was named by the Lewis family after a aboriginal word moothi nest in the hills you only have to meet my kids to see the aboriginal heritage in the family
   Steve prior
   You can contact me on
   0407926072

3. Rebecca says:

   March 26, 2016 at 7:12 pm

   Mary ann Roberts was not an Aboriginal. She was born in the colony in 1792.