Gold in them thar hills

Monday, 28th April dawned bright and sunny as a group of Townsville Senior Citizens prepared to board the RSL bus for a visit to the fascinating town of Charters Towers 134 kms west of Townsville.

The visit was a response to the kind invitation of the Gold City Seniors group who made the Townsville travellers very welcome at a delicious morning tea (see Maureen and Jill Gill chatting over a laden table) and who then included them in listening to a very enjoyable musical presentation by the Palmerston Singers from Townsville.

Maureen Fewin (Townsville Seniors) and Jill Gill (Gold City Seniors)

Palmerston Singers - Pat Lee, Glenys Davey, Desley Smith, Neil Smith and Rumie Dunlap

The group had a filling pub lunch before heading out on a quick tour of some of the town sights including the hill that saw the beginning of Charters Towers gold mining in 1871.  The cairn photographed below is established at the site of the first discovery of gold bearing quartz in the North Australian reef by indigenous man Jupiter Mosman. Jupiter's tribal name is not known.

Cairn in memory of the discovery of gold by Jupiter Mosman

This was a great day out.  Thanks to the Gold City Seniors who invited the Townsville group, to the RSL who made their bus available, to Maureen Fewin who organized the outing and to Barry Saunders (volunteer driver) who took the group to Charters Towers and back.

Some CT Seniors members:  Vedie Truscott, Gwenda Fox, Shirley Plant, Ray Hope and Win Naughton

Historic Gill Street, Charters Towers