Characters of the Willows Gemfields

Bill Lipscombe and Peter Rive with Bill’s gemcutting machine (pedal operated) circa late 1950s
Brothers Peter and Heinz Laws with Peter’s faceting machine
Dinny’s camp
Mining at the Willows
Pat McSharry and Peter Laws
Visitors get advice on their finds from Lilly Darbringhausen

Exactly when the first sapphires were found at the Willows Gemfields is not known but Joshua Cousen was mining here from 1919 in an area long-term locals now refer to as Cousens Hill. Dick and John Hawkins of Mowbray Station spent time digging the western slopes of the Klondyke, while Yorky Staples, Tom McCarthy, and the MacNamara brothers are among the handful of men who mined the area before they went off to World War II.

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It is believed that a large quantity of local sapphires belonging to Tom and the brothers was lost at sea when the ship the gems were being transported on was torpedoed during the war.

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By 1948 there were 10 miners digging here. Among these miners were personalities such as Jack Anderson, known for discovering a 211-carat yellow sapphire and Harold CliftonParr who dug the Golden Queen. In later years, there was also Englishman Bob Shanks, a man who was a steward on the “Queen Mary” and appointed Master of Arms when the ship was seconded during WWII.

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Another character, Bill Lipscombe, had been a cotton farmer in Biloela before he went to fight for his country at Gallipoli during the first World War. Bill is best remembered for his fear of snakes. So terrified was he that he set his bed up on four steel drums using another as a step. One night, poor circulation caused his arm to go to sleep. With the other arm he felt something cold lying across his chest. Convinced it was a snake, Bill leapt out of bed, becoming tangled in his mosquito net which caused him to miss his step and tumble to the floor, pulling everything down with him!

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One of the most fondly remembered of all Willows Gemfields characters is Dinny O’Sullivan, who came here from Alpha where he’d worked as a drovers’ cook. Dinny was known for his generosity, making and delivering Christmas puddings to everyone each Christmas. His horse, Dempsey grazed around the Gem Air caravan park, still referred to as Dinny’s Horse Paddock by some today. He and Dempsey voluntarily carted mail on a regular basis to the Willows residents from the railway siding 15 kilometres away.

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Bill and Dinny, for reasons known only to themselves, had not spoken for many years but one afternoon when Dinny delivered mail to Bill, a few mutual mates were sitting around enjoying Bill’s home brew. They urged Dinny to join them, convincing the two men to call a truce. Unfortunately, Bill’s brew was so potent, Dinny fell off his horse on his way home, causing irreparable damage to the freshly rekindled friendship.

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Characters from more recent times were Les Beard and Pat McSharry who lived in camps near the Bonanza Claim. Les was a bird lover and Pat kept cats and, despite being the best of mates, this occasionally caused some angst. Les drove Pat into Emerald to shop every fortnight and they always took a spell at the Anakie Hotel on the way home.

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Every mining camp needs a watering hole so in 1903 a building was transported from Comet and soon opened up as Kitchener’s Hotel. In 1904 a second hotel, Sylvester’s, was established.

Location

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Welcome to Willows – ///spaced.printed.particularly

Green Sapphires – Willows – ///coupler.redeems.humiliated

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