HistoryWilliam Henry Newman was best known as a mining king. He was born at Nantes, France in 1839. He came to Australia with his parents in 1841 and was educated, principally, at Sydney Grammar School. He gained early commercial experience in some of the leading soft goods houses in Sydney, but at the age of 16 he was again sent to school to finish his education under Rev. Mr Euston of Surrey Hills. He became a junior clerk in the Office of Captain Eldred, Consul for Chile and Lloyds' Agent and rose to the position of second in charge of the office. At the age of 18 he caught gold fever and tried his luck at the Forbes diggings with the worst result.
In 1862 he arrived at Lucknow with 12 shillings and sixpence in his pocket. In a year he had made about 12,000 pounds. He opened up the Outbound Bound Claim and at 60 feet obtained 9 ounces in the first prospect and out of three buckets of brown vein realised 54 ounces of gold. He then tried his hand at trade and opened stores at Lucknow, Cadia Copper Mines and Icely Copper Mines, but his inexperience proved fatal and he lost all his money.
He then went to the diggings at Grenfell where he was employed carting quartz and labouring. After four years he came to Forest Reef Mine prospecting and reporting for an Orange paper at a salary of 1 pound per week. In another year he was again at Lucknow which, by that time, was a deserted goldfield. He again commenced prospecting and made fresh discoveries which yielded as much as 50 pounds (money) per week. He then bought out the original Lucknow store and this time was so successful in his business speculation that he continued to run it for many years.
* Hughes, L. ''Streets of town'', [Orange and District Historical Society]. n.d.
