William Robert Masterton (1872-1961)

William Robert Masterton (1872-1961)

The "Redbank Hermit"

William Robert Masterton, after an early career as a commercial traveller, settled in a remote part of Northern Territories, Australia close to the border with Queensland, and remained there, living in a cave, and staking claims to copper deposits mined by his workforce of native Australians. He was a sportsman in his youth, being the New South Wales long jump champion, but the reported accounts of him being an Olympic gold medallist would seem to be an example of the hyperbole that can often be attached to eccentrics.

Genealogy

William Robert Masterton was the third child and eldest son of William Masterton, farmer, and Christina Dunn Forbes, who had married in 1868 in Edinburgh then emigrated to New Zealand, later relocating to Australia. This places him as part of the extensive family of Mastertons from Cramond for which details can be found at this link.

The Courier-Mail

COPPER NEAR BURKETOWN
Redbank Mine May Be Re-opened

An effort is to be made to re-open the Redbank copper mine at Wollogorong, near Burketown, in the Gulf country. In a letter to Mr J. E. Burke (managing director of the shipping firm of John Burke, Ltd.), the owner of the mine (Mr. W. R. Masterton) stated that he had held on to the mine for years, always believing that copper would go up in price. He had been unable to work the mine owing to the low price ruling for copper, and also because of lack of transport to the coast. In 1935 he got 80 odd tons of ore away, out of 100 mined. The ore assayed on the average 35 per cent, copper. A carrier had arranged to cart 100 tons of ore from the mine last year, but he did not arrive, with the result that Mr. Masterton had 160 tons of ore, which at the price then ruling at Chillagoe was worth over £4000. Had his ore been delivered at Chillagoe he would have had 200 tons more this year, and he would have been in a position to employ more miners at Redbank.

MOTOR TRUCK WANTED

There were only seven months each year when it was possible to cart the ore to Burketown for shipment to Chillagoe. Mr. Masterton asked Mr. Burke to make inquiries regarding the purchase and transport of a motor truck to Burketown.

Mr. Burke said yesterday that he had seen the Under Secretary to the Minister for Mines, and was forwarding to him a copy of Mr. Masterton's letter. The Mines Department desired Mr. Masterton to forward a sample of the ore he had sent to Chillagoe, and probably a truck would be sent to him by the first ship available.

The Courier-Mail
Brisbane
Wednesday, 14th April 1937

Townsville Daily Bulletin

REDBANK COPPER MINE.

Important Inspection.
BURKETOWN. June 14.

Mr. Keast, manager of the Broken Hill Co., Pty., Ltd., and a party of other mining personalities flew to Burketown on June 8 in the Lockheed monoplane Silver City, which is the property of the Broken Hill Co. Mrs Keast accompanied the party to the Redbank copper mine, and expressed her keen interest in the country traversed.

It is understood that the immediate object of the visit of Messrs. Keast, Morby, Claverly, Major Thyer, and other distinguished mining experts is to ascertain and report to the Federal Government on the possibilities of opening up the rich copper deposits at Redbank. Marked activity has characterised the in- vestigation of these gentlemen, and of the personnel of the geophysical and geological survey parties during recent weeks, and it is of very special moment to local residents, as well as to the Commonwealth at large, to secure such reserves of minerals as will enable the production of war materials of all kinds to proceed rapidly and progressively.

North Queensland may expect considerable development of its industrial and transport facilities, and this will inevitably lead to improved conditions throughout the North-west, whilst providing Australia with essential elements of the sinews of war. Everything, of course, depends upon the report of the experts and the subsequent decision of the Federal Government. It is realised that existing conditions are necessarily discouraging to mining development, but a long range expansion policy may be envisaged. If this is the case the reported up to 40 per cent, assay of the Redbank copper deposits is a factor which may weigh heavily with Canberra.

Mr. Reg Murray, one time of Herberton, but now in Townsville, states that the Redbank copper field is situated about 150 miles from Burketown, just across the Territory border. W. R. Masterton, who has worked the original leases for about 30 years, went there originally about 1909 with a party from Irvinebank. They travelled overland to Burketown, where they purchased a waggon and set off with supplies. The syndicate gradually broke up until Masterton remained alone to continue working. The field is on broken, sandy country with poor road access and of late years leases adjacent to those owned by Masterton have been worked spasmodically by the Atkinson brothers, Jim and Del.

Masterton at times employs additional white labor, but uses aborigines to a large extent He has no machinery, the ore being lifted by windlass, bagged and conveyed to Massacre Inlet, in the Gulf, where it is picked up regularly each month by the small John Burke schooner Leisha, which tranships to the Wandana, by which it is conveyed to Cairns and finally railed to Chlllagoe. Massacre Inlet is about 60 miles from the Redbank field and carriers convey Masterton's ore on contract over a very rough bush road. Mr. Murray says the ore is of high metal contents, and be thinks Masterton has made enough by his own crude methods to get out. For years his abode has been in a natural cave on one of the cliff faces. The field was recently surveyed by the aerial geophysical party and a land party is now completing its investigations.

Townsville Daily Bulletin
Queensland
Thursday, 20th June 1940

Northern Standard

The Northern Territory of Australia
MINING ORDINANCE 1939
NOTICE OF APPLICATION FOR A MINERAL LEASE

NOTICE is hereby given that I William Robert Masterton of Wollogorang Station the undersigned, has made applications this day for a Mineral lease under the provisions of the Mining Ordinance 1939, of ground to be known as The "Bluff" containing twenty acres situated at Redbank via Wollogorang and commencing about 2 miles easterly from Redbank Mine from datum peg West; running north of east for twenty chain then south-easterly for ten chains, thence south-westerly for 20 chains, thence north westerly for 10 chains to datum peg. Includes former Protected Mineral Lease 1281.

Dated at Redbank this Twenty-fourth day of December 1940.

Signature of Applicants or Agents
WILLIAM ROBERT MASTERTON.

OBJECTIONS to the application above referred to must be lodged at the Warden's Office on or before the 24th day of February 1941, and the hearing of the application will take place on the 18th day of March next.

C. R. STAHL,
Mining Registrar. McArthur River Gold-field.

Northern Standard
Darwin
Wednesday, 29th January 1941

Report on the Borroloola Mining and Cattle Districts 1948

6. Redbank Copper Mine

Owner - Mr W Masterton, aged 77 years

Mr Masterton has been in this area since 1900 and has continually worked the copper mine throughout this period. He lives in a very primitive condition, his quarters being located in a cave. At the time of my inspection Mr Masterton had no natives in his employ. His last aboriginal licence was held in 1945. He stated he had not worked any natives since that date.

Mr Masterton's copper mine has been inspected by engineers and assayists from the Zinc Corporation, Broken Hill. He told me that they had reported that there was insufficient ore in the area to warrant a large company taking control and erecting a smelter.

There is no doubt that the Redbank mine could be a successful one now if the owner had sufficient capital to become modernistic, ie, own a motor truck, pump for sluices, etc.

The isolation of the mine is the greatest handicap to overcome especially as all the ore has to be shipped to Newcastle, NSW.

Living near Masterton were the following natives :-

Relation Name Native Name
Husband Old Tommy Yed-ud-era
Wife Judy Kak-a-la
Wife Bella Oong-oona-mura

Living with Mr Masterton in a cave adjoining his was a young half-caste girl named Florine. This girl's age was 16 years, her mother was the above lubra, Bella. As far as could be ascertained her father's name was Mr Holmes, address unknown.

Masterton stated that he had taken this half-caste girl from the native camp at an early age and had looked after her interests ever since. He had given her a little education, clothed and fed her. He requested that I remove the girl as the residents of the various stations and people in Burketown claimed that he was living with the girl. I assured Mr Masterton that the girl would be removed in the very near future but it was quite impossible for me to take her with me on patrol as I had over 200 miles to ride to Borroloola. I questioned Masterton with regard to various rumours I had heard with reference to the girl Florina working underground. in one of the mines.

He admitted that she had been underground but claimed she had only gone down for the adventure and unknown to him at the time. He stated that he had reprimanded her for doing this and claimed that the community was only trying to give him a bad time. I am quite convinced that in the past Masterton has acted in the best interests of the girl.

Also in the Redbank area were the following natives :-

Relation Name Native Name
Husband Charlie Yal-ar-al
Three wives Maudie Pumyal-border
Mollie Jaya-lla-bina
Violet Kydee-bba
Daughter Maggie Mun-galli

The following half-castes were living in an iron shack known as Shadford's camp. This house is owned by Jack Shadford.

May Shadford H/C, aged 20 years
Phyllis Shadford H/C, aged 7 years

May Shadford had a daughter Doreen aged 7 years, also a daughter 4 weeks old, both quarter-caste children.

The father of the second daughter is unknown. The name of the father of Doreen was alleged to be a stockman by the name of Billy Cain whose present address is Stapleton Station. Billy Cain has not a good reputation, he was arrested and charged with cohabiting, found guilty and served six months in Alice Springs Gaol.

I consider that Cain should be approached and questioned as to whether he is the father of Doreen. As he has already served a sentence for cohabiting there is the possibility he may admit to being the father.

In the event of this happening he could then be made to pay an amount each week for the upkeep of the child.

The Shadford girls were living on rations that their father had sent up from Wollogorang Station.

Report Relative to Mines and Cattle Stations Employing Native Labour in the Borroloola District
S H Kyle-Little
Patrol Officer
National Archives of Australia, Darwin Office
CRS F315/0 Item 1949/393A Part 2
16 December 1948

The West Australian

Votes Sent By Runners And Dug-Out Canoes

DARWIN, April 25: The Northern Territory is already at the polls voting for a man who will not have a vote except on parochial issues.

The electorate, which covers 523,000 square miles and 14 degrees of latitude, has only three polling places - at Darwin, Tennant Creek and Alice Springs - for 6,556 electors. That is an average of one polling booth for 174,000 square miles or a place twice as big as Victoria. About one-third of the electors have already recorded their votes by post in what is believed to be the biggest percentage of postal votes of any electorate. The Electoral Officer (Mr. J. W. Nicholls) sent ballot papers by aeroplane and native runner to most inaccessible corners of the country as soon as they were printed. Many of them have already come back with votes marked but some will not have yet reached their destination. Mr. Nicholls. who has 26 official positions in the Territory, has conducted every election here since 1928. A voteless Territory native will walk out 100 miles with the ballot paper for Mr. W. R. Masterton, the miner at the Red Bank Copper Mines, Wollongorang, wait until he marks it, and then walk back. On his way out the native will have to swim the McArthur, Wearyan, Robinson and Calvert Rivers and Skeleton Creek, all of them populated with crocodiles. He will swim them again on the way home.

The West Australian
Perth
Thursday, 26th April 1951

Townsville Daily Bulletin

AROUND THE CAMPFIRE
(By "SUNDOWNER")

T.H.C. takes his place at the campfire again this week, with more to tell us about his experiences back in 1909:

When we camped at Almaden, on my way from Chillagoe to Einasleigh, I met an exceptional type of a man named Masterton. He was a Gippsland native. A clean, natty man, his swag consisted of one change of clothes and a calico bag the length of his swag that he used to keep filled with flour when he was on the track. He told me he had walked from Mungana to Port Darwin, then to Derby and Marble Bar in West Australia, and now he was returning and going south. He told me his reason for coming back this way was that there were too many long dry stages on the Overland Telegraph Line from Darwin to Adelaide, otherwise he would have taken that route instead of following the Gulf around. Masterton was a most interesting character and could converse on any subject. I mentioned to him that seeing he was that fond of travel it was a wonder he had not got on with a mob of cattle. He replied 'I would not get on a horse if you gave me £10.'

Townsville Daily Bulletin
Queensland
Monday, 18th August 1952

Townsville Daily Bulletin

AROUND THE CAMPFIRE
(By "SUNDOWNER")

Mr. H. H. Macintosh, Fairfield, Longreach, writes :— Your correspondent T.H.C. (August 18th issue) mentions a man named Masterton— 'an exceptional type of man' etc., whom he met at Almaden In 1909. I have no doubt he will be interested to know that W. R. Masterton, the same man, has a copper mine in Wollogorang, N.T., not far over the border from Queensland. I first met him there in 1915, living under an overhanging rock face, and he is still there. He is about 79 years of age, and he is still 'neat and natty.' and active, an athlete in his younger days, and as T.H.C. said, can converse on many interesting subjects.

Townsville Daily Bulletin
Queensland
Friday, 12th December 1952

The Age

'Great White Hermit' of Gulf Country Dies at 91.

DARWIN, Thursday. - Ninety-one-year-old Bill Masterton, who lived in a cave at Red Bank copper mine on the Queensland-Northern Territory border for 48 years, has died.

He is known throughout the Territory as the "Great White Hermit." Word of Mr Masterton's death several weeks ago reached Darwin today. He lived in the remote Gulf of Carpentaria district in a cave near Wollogorang Station. His only visit south was to Sydney in 1919 when his wife died. Few people ever saw him, but he was a legend in a country of legends.

Only a four-wheel drive vehicle and tough stock ponies could get to his cave-mine. But Mr. Masterton had neither. He employed 20 natives of the Garawa tribe to help him work the mine, and when he had a load of copper a carrier called and carted it to Burketown for shipment to a southern smelter.

Cave-Dweller

Because of the vast distances to be covered he hand to hand-pick his ore for grade. Aboriginal women carried his water in buckets on a yoke from Red Bank Creek. Natives at Borroloola, 100 miles away, say that Mr. Masterton was the good man who looked after many natives for years.

His cave on the side of a hill was 12 feet high at the entrance and 20 feet deep. It had a verandah of natural stone. His chairs were made of bags and bush timber and a native woman swept it every day. He lived on wild life, including bower birds.

Gentlemanly

Mrs. A. J. Keast, of Monomeath Avenue, Canterbury, Victoria, wife of the managing director of Mary Kathleen mine, visited Mr. Masterton with her husband some time ago. She said later he was one of the most gentlemanly men she had ever met. In his cave at dinner time he had said: "Madam, would you kindly serve." He had not forgotten the woman's privilege.

Mr. Masterton was a commercial traveller in Sydney last century and in the '90's was broadjump champion of N.S.W. But he gave the city away and headed for the bush where the mailman called once every three months.

Chief mourners for Mr. Masterton are surviving members of the Garawa tribe who will regularly visit his outback grave.

The Age
Melbourne
Friday, 11th August 1961

The Central Australian Stolen Generations & Families Aboriginal Corporation (CASG&FAC) Link-Up team conducted reunions in Alice Springs and the gulf country around Borroloola in the last few months.

In September, the McMasters family returned to the cave from where their father was removed. Bill Masterton, known as the Redbank Hermit, lived in the cave for 45 years while he mined copper nearby with the help of local people.

The cave’s old kitchen and cot areas have been sitting unused since the Redbank Hermit died in 1961. The McMasters heard about how the old people transported copper on horseback to the coast 100km’s away. They also made contact and formed relationships with the Redbank Hermit’s European family and Redbank Operations, the mining company which manages the site.

During the trip to Robinson River and Borroloola, the McMasters family met and yarned with some of the old Garuwa and Waanyi people who were able to tell them about their grandmother and other family. They even did some fishing but being desert mob ‘the fish wouldn’t eat our beef’.

National Link-up News
Edition 13
December 2009

Redbank Copper Limited

HISTORY

Copper mineralisation at Redbank was discovered in 1916. Small scale-production between 1916 and 1957 yielded 1,200 imperial tons of copper ore at a grade higher than 30% Cu. Numerous companies investigated the area between the 1940s and early 1990s. A small open pit at the Sandy Flat deposit operated during the 1990s and processed 170,000t grading 5.4% copper, as well as leaving 54,000t grading 6.0% copper together with mining and processing infrastructure.