Herbert Street, west side looking north from Mayne Street and showing Barnes' Chemist Shop, Gulgong
1872
Glass photonegative
The Australian Town and Country Journal, 16 March 1872, described this scene:
… on the left stands a branch of Mr. Barnes's chemist shop. But walk leisurely down the street and you will find it flanked on each side by public houses, Ch+D45inese eating-houses, Chinese stores, a few European drapery and general stores, billiard-saloons, and fruit-shops. The lower part of Herbert-street is considered to be the Seven Dials (a notorious London slum) of Gulgong; and some queer scenes take place there all night long … Where you were standing the loafers and spongers of the place assemble in hundreds by day and by night.
From Australian Town and Country Journal, 12 September 1874
As I drew near to Gulgong the public-houses on the road-side were of an inferior kind in appearance, but still gave evidence of being conducted, at least, on honest principles. This was an assuring circumstance to a solitary traveller like myself among a crowd of strange men such as now thronged every thoroughfare to the new discovered El Dorado. Amongst them there were men of every kind of character and disposition, and not a few of the very worst. The known presence of the latter element, indeed, made every man who was conscious of being actuated by legitimate motives himself unwilling to form acquaintance with a stranger, until satisfied that the intentions of the parties were as innocent as his own. Forwardness, indeed, and undue familiarity were, as far as I could judge, among the bad signs by which the dishonest and designing might be distinguished from their betters. [Australian Town and Country Journal, 12 September 1874]
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