Gold was initially discovered here in 1895 (possibly 1896) and was locally known as Speakman's Find, after the prospector who made the original discovery. Speakman's lease (along with Cooke and Lukin) was 30 acres in size and contained three reefs. The town was gazetted in 1897. The name of the town is thought to come from another prospector who had operated in the area.
The cache is located near the graves of two young boys Thomas Kenney (12yrs) and William Leslie Calder (8yrs). Calder, William Leslie 12/10/1896 Aged 3. He died of convulsions. He had only been in WA for 3 months. Callion was gazetted as a town in 1897 so maybe the Calder child was the son of a lone prospector but this is unknown. This information about the Callion Cemetery which is on Credo Station was provided by Alex Morrison.
This was received from Rodney Samson:
“William Leslie Calder was a grandson of George Speakman (my Great, Great Grandfather) who owned the Callion Mine and the older brother of my maternal Grandmother, Elsie Calder. My Grandmother returned to VICTORIA in 1898 with most of the family to set up various businesses from the proceeds of the mine and to start another mine in DUNOLLY. A little bit of family history, a number of gold nuggets were kept and all children that were alive and then born after 1898 were each given a nugget. My mother was one of the last ones to get a nugget before they ran out”.
Kenny, Thomas 1/3/1899 Aged 12. He died of "hereditary" consumption.
There are a couple of pieces of tin lying on the graves which are believed to be the original markers. The original headboards were replaced in 1956 with the more durable ones now there.
One of the first mines established in the area was the Lady Sate Mine which was operating in 1899. A 20-head battery was erected in the Callion mine with sufficient water being available for crushing purposes. This battery operated from 1897 and continued to operate until at least 1902.
After the original Lady Sate Mine modern mine operations mined in the area. Further up the track from this area are concrete slabs from transportable dongers and other evidence of more recent human activity. Closer to the mine excavations is a dam and a large airstrip. I am not sure when this area was last mined.