MARCH 20TH 1871 - [FROM A CORRESPONDENT.]
Among other gratis sights, mentioned in my last, to be seen in our streets (a sensational event in its way, and also an acknowledged institution), is the arrival of Tarrant's coach from Mudgee, every evening about 8 o'clock; there are other coaches besides Tarrant's, but Tarrant's is the coach, being the best known and largest upon the road.
The knight of the whip is careful, attentive, and civil, and immediately upon the rumble of the wheels being heard, and the huge caravan-looking vehicle looms in sight with its two lamps brightly burning, then these gentlemen miners, distracted with having nothing to do, waiting patiently for something to turn up in their favour, seize this, their rightful and undisputed opportunity, to pop out from all sorts of imaginable places—from under verandahs, from public houses, billiard-rooms, and elsewhere, flocking down the street after the coach in a kind of a quick march, jog-trot, be-in-time sort of a step, awaiting its being pulled up in front of Angove's store, which, when done, they, the miners, pronounce sentence according to the evidence then heard and seen. The sides and back part of the coach is surrounded by individuals, who close up in that peculiar manner known only to the mining community, and, I think, I can safely assert, cannot be equalled or excelled by any other class. Our worthy Jehu, holding the reins in one hand (while his youthful head man unharnesses the horses), and his head in the other hand, trying to collect his scattered wandering thoughts, most probably recollecting something that he had forgot, and that recollection immediately being everlastingly banished from his memory by the innumerable questions pitched in all manner of keys—all being asked at one time, and each and all expecting to be replied to first such as, " Did you bring that for me, Tarrant—and what did he say?" are the telegrams up; and "Has Mr. Brown come?" &c. However, Tarrant pulls through it all, and manages at the same time to keep one eye and one hand open—the hand receiving the scattered half-crowns from his passengers, and with a "Thank you, sir".
While the above is occurring in the fore part of the coach, a little arrangement is going on at the rear portion, where there is a dense crowd who gaze earnestly (as well as the darkness will enable them) into the body of the coach, endeavouring as much as possible to see who they are, what they are, and if possible find out where they come from. An inquisitive race are the gold-miners, which is not the only acquisition they are possessed of. Gallantry and an unfailing devotion to the fair sex is another, and their admiration cannot be exceeded; should fortune so favour them that their gaze should alight upon a lady passenger or two then they rest not till they succeed in learning whether those ladies are young or old—esteeming them both greatly, but yet, I must say, a prejudiced class are miners, showing a partiality and a greater amount of sympathy for the younger and best looking lady of the two.
The gentlemen passengers seeing the mass of human beings that are taking a sight at them, not to be abashed or confused, and also to give a notion that they are perfectly at home and comfortable anywhere—jump off the coach as smart as possible, catching hold of their luggage or what-not, walking off with a jaunty springing step, and going quickly in a direction nowhere,—attempting to delude the lookers-on with the idea that they know the run of the place, and have been upon Gulgong before.
There are also (winding-up the coach business) a few more who hail the arrival of the coach as an advent perhaps slightly conducive to their welfare.
JUNE 1871 - COACH STUCK UP
On Thursday evening, at 6 pm , Tarrant's coach from Mudgee to Gulgong, was stuck up near the old reef, three miles from the latter township, by four armed men, masked. They ordered the passengers out of the coach, and made them sit on the ground while one of the scoundrels searched, and the remaining three stood guard. From one of the passengers they took £35 in notes, a gold watch, guard, a pocket book, und some silver , and from another passenger, £9 odd. Mr and Mrs Bernard Norton, of the Half Way House, rode up at the time, and they were also ordered to stand, ten shillings in silver, and a gold watch and chain were taken from them, but the latter articles were returned on its being stated they were family relics.
On Friday morning last Mr Tarrant's coach, while travelling towards Gulgong, was stuck up by several armed men, and the passengers were robbed of about £130. The bushranging party were well armed, and appeared by their costume to be diggers. The driver of the coach had a considerable sum of money about bim, which he was conveying to the diggings in trust for a friend, but fortunately the robbers omitted to search him. Three men were apprehended the same evening on suspicion, but as they could not be identified they were discharged
-Abridged from the Mudgee Advertiser, June 3Source: The Maitland Mercury and Hunter River General Advertiser (NSW : 1843 - 1893) Thu 8 Jun 1871 Page 4
1871 - [MORE ABOUT THE ROBBERY]
The following account of the highway robbery, in New South Wales, to which refer ence has been made in our telegraphic intelligence, is from the Mudgee Advertiser. On the morning of the 2nd of June it was currently reported that Tarrant's coach had been stuck up whilst travelling towards Gulgong by several armed men. The excitement created by the rumor was something considerable. Mr. Naughton, who was present at the occurrence, and one of the parties bailed up, has favored us with the following narration:—Mr. Nanghton, accompanied by Mrs. Nanghton, was riding from Gulgong homewards, and had reached the old reef in proximity to the cutting, when he observed a coach in the middle of the road, and the passengers sitting beside it. Simultaneously a man, whose face was concealed by crape, presented two revolvers at him, and ordered him to stand. He dismounted, and observed that he had fallen into the hands of a bushranging party, who were all well armed with revolvers, and had their faces covered with crape. With one exception, they wore the costumes of diggers, and their clothes were considerably soiled with clay. One of the party was dressed in black. They appeared to have no horses. Mr. Naughton was ordered to sit down with the passengers by the coach, and he complied. A few minutes later one of the party searched his pockets, taking 10s. or 12s. in silver. The robber asked Naughton whether he had any more, to which he replied in the negative, adding that be considered he ought to be satisfied. He then proceeded to relieve Naughton of his watch and chain, but on the latter remonstrating, he desisted, and also returned several other small articles he had taken. The bushrangers having completed the search, intimated to the bailed-up party that they might go, adding that the less they said about the occurrence the better.
Mr, Tarrant, the driver of the coach, relates that he was driving up the hill when the five men approached at a run, and commanded him to stop, and that when the passengers evidenced some disinclination to dismount the bushrangers threatened to shoot them if they did not immediately comply with their orders. Tarrant came out of the affair very fortunately, as they omitted to search him. Had they done so, they would, perhaps, have discovered something to repay them for their pains, as he was conveying a considerable sum to the diggings in trust for a friend. Immediately the coach arrived at Gulgong the police started in pursuit. Three men were arrested the same evening on suspicion of being the parties concerned, but as none of the passengers were able to identify them, they were discharged. The passengers by the coach affirm that they are losers to the amount of £130, but we cannot vouch for the accuracy of the statement.
1901 - The Old Coaching Days... Tribute to the Late Tom Tarrant
1904 - PERSONAL - BY GCJ
A grand old stager was Tom Tarrant. Tom was not a Cobb man; he drove his own coach or van, the former between Gulgong and Mudgee, the latter between Mudgee and 'Wang.
He was a "Oxberry" native, from about as good a man as ever drove a team. The Gulgong folk swore by him, he was so reliable; the diggers sent their wives and children home by him, and the infirm and delicate were always advised to travel with Tom Tarrant. Flowers grew plentifully in the bush between Mudgee and Gulgong, especially by the Menah Flat road. Tom was the first to note a good specimen, and never hesitated to get down and secure it for a lady passenger or a child.
1904 - PERSONAL - BY GCJ
There were many stalwart Hawkesbury men on Gulgong, several of whom I knew intimately, as for instance, good old Tom Tarrant, carrier and coach proprietor — a Yarramundi man I think;
Source: Windsor and Richmond Gazette (NSW : 1888 - 1965) Sat 20 Feb 1904 Page 10
1906 - GOING BACK A PIECE
Then, there was old Tom Tarrant, a grand old Hawkesbury man, to be exact—he belonged to Yarramundi,' near Richmond. Tom is dead, but his son, or sons, still run their rams on the Mudgee road. In the golden days of Gulgong, Tom Tarrant was every body's favorite on the road between Mudgee and the big gold-field . But, they are all going —one by one— to the far off country, the last stage of all to travel over, and old gray beards, like ' Old Ned ' and myself, find a melancholy pleasure in jotting down what we know about them. Some day we may be written about. And what matters, so long as they who write let us down lightly?
Cooyal.1953 - [THE GOLD RUSH]
It was a long trip from Sydney, to Gulgong; but the trip was worthwhile for hun dreds of miners. They travelled by train from Sydney to Wallerawang, by mail coach to Mudgee, and by Tom Tarrant's coach or horseback to Gulgong.
