Hiscock's Reward. Multi-Cache
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Size: 
(regular)
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The 11th cache for Dazza1 is another in the Series of Historical Multi's, this Multi will take you to three local historical locations of significance where you will find out about Hiscock's reward.
Thomas Hiscock Discovered gold nearby in 1851, there is an obelisk mark the location, it is hidden away and not often visited, I hope this cache will increase the visitors to this site.
Thomas Hiscock was recognised as the discoverer of the Ballarat goldfield in 1855.
On 21 June 1897, on Queen Victoria's 60th Jubilee, a monument was unveiled at Hiscocks, which gives the date of discovery as 3 August 1851, and incorrectly states that Buninyong was the first place where gold was discovered in Victoria! The memorial was sited here because it was the boundary of the old Shire and Borough of Buninyong. The actual place where gold was discovered is believed to be some hundred metres north of the obelisk.
See also the cache " Hiscock Mining Village " by Reggie 81.
Thomas Hiscock, the Buninyong blacksmith, had been interested in the subject of gold since a report had appeared in the Melbourne newspapers in 1849 speaking of a discovery in the Pyrenees. Apparently Hiscock sent innumerable parcels of rock down to the jeweller Mr Fulton in Geelong with the mail coach, but he was unsure what he was seeking.
Buninyong in 1851 was "the busiest town in Victoria outside Melbourne and Geelong." Established for 10 years, it had recently been surveyed and the first sales of land in the township were held in Melbourne on 9 May 1851. Buninyong boasted a comfortable hotel - Mother Jamieson's Inn - a Presbyterian church, Victoria's only inland boarding school, the only doctor in the region, a post office, stores and of course a blacksmith. It was well on the way to becoming "ye ancient village" whilst Ballarat was still the resting place of the local Aboriginal people. The only signs of European habitation about Ballarat were the sheep and shepherd's huts of the Scottish squatter, Archibald Yuille, who had called his run "Ballaarat."
19 year old John Stoker Thomas was with Thomas Hiscock when he discovered gold, as was his brother Edward and Thomas Hiscock's son Thomas, all looking for a stray cow. The actual date is somewhat confused. John Stoker Thomas claimed it was Saturday 2 August 1851; the gold monument erected in 1897 states 3 August, and the Select Committee inquiring into who should be rewarded for gold discoveries in Victoria decreed in 1854 that Thomas Hiscock be rewarded for his discovery "on 8 August 1851".
It is very feasible that the discoverers would test the ground for a few days, collect their gold, and establish their claim before releasing the news to the general public. So it is quite possible that the discovery was made on 2 August, but not communicated to people in Geelong until the following week. Hiscock wrote to the editor of the Geelong Advertiser on Sunday 10 August, and sent the letter and gold specimens down with the Buninyong mail, which left Buninyong on Sunday night, 10 August.
The discovery was announced in the Geelong Advertiser on 12 August 1851.
At Buninyong Cemetery, the second oldest in the state, lies the grave of Thomas Hiscock, as well as many other interesting sites, such as one well-kept 1868 gravestone which tells in detail the circumstances of its occupants death:
“Here lies Mr. James Daniel (late of Buninyong) whose earthly probation was suddenly terminated in the 47th year of his age by the simple circumstance of his saddle girth slipping.”
In other words, Mr. James Daniel fell off his horse.
In fact there at least two headstones telling of a fatal fall from a horse in this cemetary. If you have time see if you can locate the headstones.
Onto the cache :
The coordinates will take you to three locations which will allow you to gather the facts that you will use to find GZ.
The Coordinates will bring you to the Grave site of the above mentioned Mr Thomas Hiscock and members of his family at : S 37 38.446, E 143 51.310.
To find the next location you need to discover the following :
ab= the date of Mr Thomas Hiscocks death and c= a+3-b and d=a+1
Note : Read the grave carefully.
WP2 The Sign.
The sign describes activity at one of the local large mines in the area.
S 37 38.dbc
E 143 51.dac
Then at The Sign you must determine.
e= How many horses in the foreground of the picture + 1.
f= The reward given to Hiscock for his find-1000.
g= The year Hiscock died -1850.
h= The number of Obelisks erected.
To find WP3 The Obelisk.
A seldom visited historical monument, a short drive away.
S 37 38.(e+h)(b-h)(e-a)
E 143 51.gah
To find GZ the following is required.
i= Day of the month when Mr Hiscock discovered gold.
j= Number of names on the Obelisk.
K= Number of letters in the last word.
You will find GZ a short drive away at :
S 37 38.J (J+i ) J
E 143 51.(J+i) KJ
The cache is a 5L container with room for swaps.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Pnpur : rreg sb rfno, bireybbxvat gur ebnq.
Treasures
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