Charleston: Its Rise and Decline

Front matter

CHARLESTON

(NELSON PROVINCE, NEW ZEALAND)

ITS RISE AND DECLINE

Foreword

FOREWORD

I HAVE great pleasure in complying with the request that I should write a foreword for this excellent record.

My family left Charleston in 1895, when I was a boy of ten years of age, but even at that late stage of its decline it was still a cheerful little township with a resident doctor, a hospital of considerable size, four hotels, three churches, a dozen or so shops, a fair group of Shetlanders on the North Beach, and some thirty or forty other families in the vicinity. The arrival of Hanna's coach on its twice-weekly trip from Westport was an outstanding event in its life.

My most recent visit was at the beginning of last year when there remained of the town only one neglected church, the European Hotel, the Police Station, the school, and four small cottages. It was sad to see the deserted and desolate streets and the vacant sites, but I found that the locality, although scarred and defaced, still had a strong attraction. This, I think, was due to factors which one does not appreciate as a boy. The natural surroundings of the town are unusually attractive. One lives in sight and reach of the mountain ranges; alongside are the charming reaches of the Nile River. The scenery of the terraces, clothed with fern and shrubs, is varied and pleasing. To these are added a temperate climate, fine sandy beaches a stone's throw away, and bays of remarkable beauty enclosed in a picturesquely rock-bound coast, upon which the huge rollers from the South Pacific break unceasingly, with mighty power in the storms, and with endless surge and sound. It is not strange that such surroundings should gain so strong a hold on our memories and affections.

This affection is strengthened by the fact that, when “the tumult and the shouting died” and the multitude of gold-seekers left, the small community remaining formed a happy family, finding their pleasures in the simple joys and homely tasks that provide the best sources of happiness in life.

The memories of many old Charlestonians, of course, go back much further than mine, but we all owe a deep debt of gratitude to Mr. Faris for his varied and vivid picture of our town's beginnings and growth, its vigorous and stirring youth, and its gradual decline. The wealth of detail cannot fail to impress on our minds the sturdy virtues of the pioneers of our Dominion. The story of their example should be a stimulus to us in our present peril. They endured hardship, braved danger, and strove hard in their search for that freedom in life that should be the birthright of all who are willing to do their share in the work to be done. They strove against narrow means and hard times, and strove manfully. This generation has, on the whole, lived in comfort which our fathers would have considered luxury. But to-day we are required to make much the same sacrifices, and to show the same resolution in order to preserve our homes, our freedom, and, indeed, our lives, from the near menace of oppression and slavery. This story, so vividly told, should inspire us in our task.

It is typical of many a community in the early days of New Zealand, and we shall do well to remember that when their work was done at Charleston these pioneers turned to other tasks, and that, in every sphere of life, they and their children have done their share in building-up the New Zealand we love so much. Mr. Faris has mentioned the names of some—he could not mention all. But all readers will be happy to see that Mr. O'Flynn’s lifetime of service has been recognised by his appointment to the Legislative Council; that Mr. Robert Hannah’s fine work as head of the great factories and business he established is recorded; and that the late Mr. T. G. Macarthy’s generous provision for the public welfare has proper recognition. There are many others in every walk of life who have contributed in like manner according to their opportunities. I am sure that we, the sons of Charleston, like to feel that it is a manifestation of the true spirit of the West Coast which still places comradeship before gold, and service for the common good before selfishness or self-interest. It is this spirit which has moved Mr. Faris in his labour of love in assembling the material for, and compiling this record. His work will pass on the torch; and on behalf of his readers, I have to express our deep gratitude and appreciation.

A. Fair.

Judge's Chambers, Auckland, August, 1941.

Preface

PREFACE

THE history of Charleston, with its romance of gold-seeking and finding; the story of its pioneers and its later community life; its rise, decline and final desolation, has never been told; but told it should have been long since.

To-day the picture is lost, and the tale cannot be set out in full, for its first-day personalities have passed, and few records have been kept during the seventy-four years that have fled since its birth.

These chapters are but a collection of such facts as a careful search has discovered among the few available sources of information. From these and old photographs, deductions have been drawn, while oral statements of old residents, or their children, have been pieced together. Of the very earliest days none can speak from personal knowledge, but must rely upon hearsay, or even the memory of hearsay, both of which are extremely liable to err, for Memory is a fickle jade who plays many tricks.

If, despite careful sifting, inaccuracies have crept in, indulgence is craved. An honest endeavour has been made to picture and reconstruct the life of this once thriving town which is now hardly more than a name and a dot upon the map of the Nelson Province.

The life of an early goldfield township is entirely different from that of an individual. In man’s life, childhood is the period of innocence, and youth the period of learning—learning of things commanded and of things forbidden, with maybe some consideration as to which of the latter he will do when he grows up. With manhood comes the doing of things; and with age, memories, moralising and endeavours to rescue from forgetfulness some of the past. “Youth longs and manhood strives, but age remembers”—with a tinge of regret for the years that have fled, and the many things that have fled with them.

A goldfield’s childhood and youth were not periods of innocence and learning, but the most hectic of its life; not verdant but rainbow-hued; not waiting to do the things that ought not to be done, but leaving undone many that should be done. So it was with Charleston’s life, but with its manhood came the striving for things lawful and right—it succeeded, and saved its soul alive.

Grateful acknowledgment is made of information derived from the publications mentioned below or in the pages, and to those whose names appear below—and to others too numerous to list.

Copies of Charleston Argus; Westport Times and its Historical Supplement; Charleston Herald; Weekly News, Auckland; New Zealand Free Lance; Diamond Jubilee Souvenir of St. John's Church, Westport; The Church in New Zealand, by J. J. Taylor; Shipwrecks, New Zealand Disasters, by Ingram and Wheatley; Te Ika a Maui by Rev. Richard Taylor; Pioneering in New Zealand, by Bank of New South Wales; History of Nelson, by Lowther Broad; The Cyclopedia of New Zealand, 1906; Lucas’s Nelson Almanacs and Handbooks; New Zealand Directory, 1867, by Stevens and Bartholomew; The Diggers’ Story, by Pfaff; Tourist Guide, by Baeyertz; Reminiscences by Arthur Dudley Dobson; The History of Addison’s Flat Goldfields, by D. Moloney; Manual of New Zealand History, by J. H. Wallace; The History of Methodism by Rev. Wm. Morley, D.D.

The Heads of Government Departments, Church Authorities, and Head Offices of Banks; Governing Bodies of Lodges and Friendly Societies; The Chief Librarians of The General Assembly Library, Alexander Turnbull Library, Otago University Library, and Public Libraries.

Secretary of National Historical Research, Department of Internal Affairs; Secretary of Education Board, Nelson; Diocesan Secretary, Church of England, Nelson; Commissioner of Crown Lands, Nelson; District Land Registrar, Nelson.

PREFACE

Messrs. Dan. Moloney, Westport (particularly for loan of old newspapers); G. M. Powell, Westport; Miss Jessie Robertson, Charleston; Mrs. J. Sutherland (née Craddock), Westport; Mrs. J. Hartill (née Ballard), Wellington; Messrs. J. H. Powell, Charleston; L. Powell, Charleston; John Hardley, Auckland; Frank Dennehy, Barrytown; John Mouat, Wellington; The Hon. Mr. Justice O’Regan, Wellington; H. H. G. Ralfe, Nelson; Dr. F. A. Bett, Nelson (sketches of 1870); Mrs. Larsen (née Poole), Westport; Mrs. Henderson (née Poole), New Plymouth; Rev. M. A. Rugby Pratt, Christchurch; Mrs. Lindop (née Marris), Westport; Miss Nora Elliott, Wanganui; Mrs. Alfred Peters, Papanui; Messrs. A. P. Burke, Wellington; Ben Parsons, Wellington; R. K. Brown, Nelson; Percy Craddock, Wellington; Richard Allan, Charleston; J. A. Gallagher, Hastings; J. Lander, ex-Inspector of Police, Wanganui; E. Broad, Waipukurau; G. O. Fair, Richmond.

I.F.

Inglewood, Taranaki, N.Z., 1940.

Chapter 1

Chapter I.

CHARLESTON—ITS BIRTH AND EARLY DEVELOPMENT.

CHARLESTON was born in August of 1866; born, it is said, of two or more venturesome fortune-seekers, Timothy Linahan and another or others, who, having failed to find golden foot-spaces unowned around the river-port of Hokitika, or at the Grey, pushed northward to hunt for others amidst the untrodden spaces and beaches of the coast.

The region between Buller and Grey was then terra incognita, unexplored and uninhabited save for a few Maoris, and unseen by white man excepting two or three intrepid spirits who had hurriedly traversed the coastline many years before.

Brunner and Heaphy (afterwards Major Heaphy, V.C.), surveyors employed by the New Zealand Company, travelled in 1845 and 1846 from Cape Farewell to the river Mawhera, which they named Grey in honour of Captain Grey (later, in 1848, Sir George Grey) then Governor of the Colony. They pronounced the West Coast as “unfit for settlement, and its rivers as unsafe for vessels to enter.” Later, Brunner, with two Maori companions, explored the region from South Spit at Buller mouth to the Grey, and received the Royal Geographical Society’s medal for the exploit.

In 1857 James Mackay, Warden of the Aorere Goldfield (the first Goldfield Warden in the Colony), travelled on foot from West Wanganui to the Buller, which he sounded from a canoe and reported as suitable for vessels of fair draught; he then proceeded onward to the Grey, passing through Kara-o-matea Plain, or Waite’s Pakihi (later the site of Addison’s Flat goldfield) and over the pakihi that nine years later was Charleston. Apparently none of them anticipated the discovery of goldfields, but stepped lightly over the hidden wealth. '

The South-West Coast is a wild, mountainous domain broken by terraces, streams and gorges. To the first explorers it would seem to be a fastness of Nature not destined for extensive human occupation. For nearly a century after the arrival of Cook in 1770, the history of this Coast was a blank and the only inhabitants were a few natives. The Maori had left few trails, so the white man who would know it must make his own path, brave storm and flood, and feed himself as best he might. Later parties formed rough foot-tracks and, later still, pack-tracks for plodding horses, but the firstcomers had of necessity to carry meagre supplies, and trust life and future to the will of Fate. The country offered no means of sustenance beyond birds, fernroot, nikau berries, and fish; but gold is an alluring siren, and when sirens call, men welcome the invitation. Of such were our pioneers, the venturous spirits who paved the way to the Coast’s future prosperity.

From 1840 to 1841 New Zealand was a dependency of New South Wales. From 1841 to 1853 it was a Crown Colony under the almost despotic rule of a Governor appointed by the Crown, the Executive Council being the Governor and three Government Officers. The Legislative Council was composed of the Executive Council together with three men, not officers, but nominated by the Crown. In 1853 came Representative Government, under the New Zealand Constitution Act of 1852, viz., a Governor and Legislative Council appointed by the Crown, and a House of Representatives elected by the people. Also, the Colony was divided into provinces, with an elected Superintendent and an elected Provincial Council for each province.

In 1876 the Provincial System was abolished, under a Colonial Act of 1875, in favour of a Parliament for the whole of New Zealand, with a Governor appointed by the Crown, a Legislative Council nominated by the Governor,

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Left― Tasman’s Chart. The Department of Scientific and Industrial Research has ascertained, through the General Assembly Library, the Netherlands’ Consul, and Centennial House, that the name given to Cape Foulwind on Tasman’s original map was the Clyppygen Hoeck, the modern spelling being Klippingen Hoek, meaning “rocky corner,” or “rocky point.”

Right― Portion of map published in 1855 by Rev. Richard Taylor, M.A., F.G.S.

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fi and a House of Representatives elected by the people. This system still exists. From 1876, Counties replaced Provinces in matters of local administration.

The seat of the Buller County Council, which included Charleston, was at Westport. The first meeting was held on 4th January, 1877, the Charleston representatives being Messrs. Walker and Moore. Mr. J. H. Powell, of Westport, also was a Councillor. In 1880 an agitation was started to have the Council’s Headquarters and Office removed to Charleston, the latter having about double the population of Westport; but the appeal was not entertained.

On 26th September, 1907, New Zealand received the status of a Dominion. Of the provinces of the South Island under the system of 1853, Nelson was the most populous, having 5,000 inhabitants.

Charleston and Westport were, and still are, in the Nelson Province, the coast to the south being at first a part of the Province of Canterbury and later, in 1873, constituting the Province of Westland. The dividing line between the Nelson and Westland Provinces is from the sea to the Southern Alps, passing close to the little town of Ikamatua. The Buller district, and south of it, was the South-West Goldfield.

The birth of Charleston was, it is believed, at Candlelight, a flat immediately south of the Broomielaw Creek, about a mile and three-quarters south of where the town of Charleston was finally established, and where more lasting supplies of gold were found.

Linahan and his mate or mates had pitched their tent beside a small creek and, while one drew water, another held aloft a “digger's lantern,” a clear glass bottle with its bottom removed and a piece of candle set in the neck. By this flickering light the creek-bed showed yellow, not with yellow mica, the “new-chum’s gold” which has raised so many false hopes and broken so many hearts, but with what their experienced eyes told them was gold—much gold. So was Charleston born in 1866.

The birth of this new goldfield was a romance, not the first of its kind upon the Coast, but such as it never will see again. The Handbook of New Zealand Mines, 1887, says—

“Payable gold was first discovered at the Charleston Basin, by Linahan and party in the month of August, 1866.”

The Basin is upon the opposite side of the Broomielaw Creek to Candlelight, and was known as “Charleston Basin,” “Candlelight Basin,” “Darkie’s Creek Basin,” or merely as “The Basin,” usually the latter. It is known that the first gold found in The Basin was discovered by Linahan and party (see Chapter XXIII) but the consensus of opinion appears to be that this was subsequent to the find at Candlelight. To Linahan and another or others, is due the credit for discovering the field, but whether at Candlelight or The Basin cannot be proved.

The news of a new field seems to travel on the wings of the wind: soon it was known throughout the country. Within a few months hundreds were at The Pakihi (mutilated to The Parkeese), the name by which Charleston was first known Pakihi is the Maori term for open grass country. The Maori name for the site of Charleston was Tauhinau.

The Handbook of N.Z. Mines (1887) states that two months after the birth of the field, in October, 1866, there were 1,200 persons at Charleston and that the number was increasing daily. Within a year or two there were thousands there. Crowds flocked in by the hazardous coastal track from the south, and from the north across bush-clad Cape Foulwind, along beaches and over rivers. Some came by sailing craft to the inlet now known as Constant Bay.

Candlelight was a short-lived field and was soon divested of its easily accessible gold. The keeper of the first hotel and store was Philip McCarthy, later Manager of the Argyle Water Race that supplied most of the water to the flat, while Mary Smith (later of West Coast Hotel at Charleston) and a Mrs. Taylor kept small hotels at The Broomielaw.

The town of Charleston was partly surveyed by Mr. A. Greenwood in 1866 and 1867, and partly by Mr. G. R. Sayle in 1873. A copy of the plan issued from Wellington, in 1880, is shown in the Appendix. On 24th July, 1867, the Select Committee appointed by the Provincial Council to “consider the petitions of William Fox, Timothy Linahan, and others, claiming a bonus for the discovery of a payable goldfield on the Pakihis,” reported that “it is inexpedient to grant any unpromised rewards for gold discoveries unless under very special circumstances, and that the cases of the petitioners are not of that description.” This report was adopted by the Council. The texts of the petitions are not available.

Again on 20th May, 1868, the matter was revived in the Council and a motion moved: “That there be placed on the Supplementary Estimates a sufficient sum to reward the original prospectors of the Charleston goldfields, now found to be permanent fields.” The names were not quoted. The motion was negatived by 12 to 5.

Mr. John Blackett, Provincial Engineer, reporting in 1867, said: “The main streets of Charleston are formed and metalled, and a good metalled road about a mile long has been made from the town towards the diggings, suitable for dray traffic.” Probably the road referred to was Darkie’s Terrace Road. On 17th July, 1867, the Superintendent of the Province reported, “the townships of Charleston and Brighton are now being surveyed, but the Council has not come to any determination regarding the sale of the land.”

On 27th May, 1868, Mr. Pell, Road Overseer, received instructions to find “the best route for a dray-road to connect Charleston with Brown’s Terrace and Addison's Flat.” “The route was then,” the Westport Times stated, “via the Pioneer Ford.” It is surmised that this ford was on the Little Totara River, and in connection with “Hall’s Track” from the Nine-Mile Beach. In 1869 the District Engineer of Goldfields recommended that Charleston streets be “principally attended to by the prisoners of the jail; but to meet the expense of carrying metal, etc., as occasionally required, I estimate for £200.” The task that the stout-hearted pioneers, inspired by the “wine of freedom and the gold of hope,” undertook in transforming this virgin land into the thriving centre that it became in a few short years, was formidable, but it was tackled with a will, and the town grew as though by magic.

As early as 1867, Commissioner Kynnersley reported “a considerable increase in the population and prosperity of the district.” Gold was everywhere, in every backyard, but water to secure it was scarce, and had to be brought from far away, in races, flumes, and pipes, while scores of dams had to be built. Notwithstanding this, the lack of water continued to hamper working; and in 1871 Mr. A. D. Dobson, District Engineer, reported to the Provincial Council on the matter, but as several more water-races were being built by Haines & Company, no action was taken by the Government.

To a town of calico and canvas, whose population was increasing by leaps and bounds, the prime consideration was a regular food supply. Without roads, or even pack-tracks, the settlement was dependent upon the few small sailing-craft that occasionally entered the bay, and eyes were turned to the nearest port of consequence, the Buller River. Westport was also in its childhood, a small settlement on the North Spit of the river mouth. From the South Spit, a few packers brought to Charleston a proportion of its requirements, over rough country and beaches, until 1867 when a road was formed over Cape Foulwind, and a coach service initiated. A dray-road to Westport was a crying necessity. The provision of such a road could be left to the Provincial Council; but to leave to it the construction of the necessary bridge over the Nile River was another matter, so these self-reliant pioneers took the matter into their own hands and the bridge was built (late in 1866 or early in 1867) by private enterprise, the builders being granted protection for five years and authorised to impose a toll of 1/- per person crossing it. This toll was collected at the bar of the Nile Hotel which was erected by Blanche Bros. at the south end. “A rough log-bridge,” Mr. Dobson declares, but it stood up to heavy traffic and to current and floods, for about eight years. The names of the original shareholders of the Bridge Company are not obtainable, but in newspapers of August, 1868, it is recorded that “Mr. Allen paid £400 to Mr. McCarthy for latter’s share,” also that “Mr. Hutchinson sold his interest to Mr. P. Allen, who is now the sole owner.” The contractors for building the bridge were Messrs. Atkinson & Company.

In December of 1868 or early in 1869 the bridge was taken over by the Provincial Council, and the toll abolished. On 15th May, 1868, it had been agreed by the Provincial Council that “the Nile bridge should be opened to the public free of charge; and that His Honour the Superintendent be requested to take the necessary steps to effect that object as soon as possible.”

In 1869 the Inspector of Schools spoke of Charleston as a place “where goldmining is actually going on in the heart of the township, and where a large proportion (of the population) is dwelling in tents.” In the same year, 1869, the Charleston correspondent of the Westport Times wrote, on 24th April: “Trade as a whole seems to have assumed a healthier tone, and I am assured that the diggings in and around Charleston will be as good as they have ever been for at least one year to come.” It would appear that, even then, he doubted the permanency of the field.

As stated, the beach-route was made available for vehicles in 1867, when Cobb & Co. commenced a coach service, passengers being ferried across the Buller. This route was ill-fitted for heavy traffic, and was also dependent upon tides, so in 1873 and 1874 a road was constructed from Westport to Charleston via Addison’s Flat, and was served by punts on the Buller until the erection of the combined railway and road bridge in 1887, at a cost of £15,000.

In 1873, says the Diamond Jubilee Souvenir, “Charleston, like Westport, was partly destroyed by fire; the township on the lower flat was not rebuilt.” In 1874 the Nile bridge was carried away by a flood, and Charleston residents petitioned the Provincial Council to rebuild it. The Petition Committee recommended this as a matter of urgency, and a contract was let in 1875 to J. B. Eteveneaux for a suspension bridge to cost £1,492, the Government to provide the wire for the main cables. In May, 1875, the Minister of Public Works agreed, on behalf of the Central Government, to contribute £1,000 towards this bridge, provided that the same amount was contributed by the Provincial Government, and that the whole was expended under the supervision of the Colonial District Engineer. This is believed to be the first suspension bridge erected in New Zealand, and was designed by, and built under the direction of Mr. A. D. Dobson, as recorded in his Reminiscences.

It is to be noted that the Public Works Department was not established until after the close of the Parliamentary Session of 1870; the first Public Works Statement being presented to the House of Representatives on 27th September, 1871. It was not, however, until 6th December of that year, 1871, that the first Minister of Public Works, the Hon. J. D. Ormond, was appointed, with Mr. J. Knowles as Under-Secretary, and Mr. J. Carruthers as Engineer-in-Chief.

In 1867 a proposal to establish a railway between Westport and Charleston received much consideration, and a Provisional Committee to further the object was set up, the Charleston members being Messrs. J. Creed and B. Colready. In May of that year, a prospectus was issued by Mr. H. E. Campbell in an endeavour to promote a Railway Company with a capital of £14,000 in 3,500 shares of £4 each. The estimated cost was £500 per mile. There were to be two locomotives, and 40lb. iron rails were to be laid. Commissioner Kynnersley also advertised, calling for applications from “persons desirous of constructing a railway or tramway from Westport to Addison’s Flat or Charleston,” and stating that plans of the surveyed line to Addison’s were on view at the Lands Office at Westport.

There was insufficient response to either the prospectus or the advertisement. On 11th June, 1867, Mr. Oswald Curtis, Superintendent, in a speech to the Provincial Council stated that a proposition had been made to him “to lay down this railway and, in consideration of certain privileges to be conceded by the Government and a grant of 1,000 acres of land, the proposal had received the reconsideration of Commissioner Kynnersley and was favourably entertained by the Executive Council.”

He explained that “at present Charleston receives the chief part of its supplies in duty-paid goods, from Canterbury; considerably to the loss of our provincial revenue; but the construction of a railway would probably bring the trade with Charleston to Westport, to the manifest advantage of this province.” He also added that “the details of the proposition, together with a Bill to enable me to carry it into effect, will be submitted to you for consideration.” An Act “to promote the construction of a railway from Westport to Charleston and Brighton” was passed by the Provincial Council and received the Governor’s assent, on 4th November, 1867. There, however, the matter ended, for the railway was not built.

In 1869 the Resident Magistrate, Mr. Charles Broad, reported to the Government that “very extensive workings are noted at Charleston immediately upon crossing the Nile bridge from the north, extending four miles to the Tikopihi River, with a depth of three or four miles to the sea. In this block is the township of Charleston, of which all the available ground continues to be worked; while dams and water-races meet the eye in every direction. The township of Charleston probably contains some two hundred houses, a very large number of which are public-houses. The town is rapidly improving in appearance; the banks and churches are all pretentious buildings, and some of the hotels present an exterior that would do credit to a longer-settled community.” The Tikopihi River referred to is the stream later known as the Four-mile River. Mr. Broad continued: “The results anticipated by my predecessor, Mr. Lightband, as to the effect upon the district of the introduction of machinery, and also the granting of extended areas, has been fully realised.”

In 1869 an official return showed that 80 of the principal claims were worked by machinery, employing 513 men, and the plants were valued at £86,010. Ten of these claims were worked by steam, and seventy by water power. In addition, there were twice as many water-wheels, horse-whims, and hand-machines. This would indicate that about 240 claims were working cement. In this year, 1869, 470 applications were heard for head- and tail-races, 307 for dams, 99 extended claims were granted, 22 goldmining leases, 5 agricultural leases, and 4 special claims. A footnote to the report added that “Charleston has already put on an appearance of permanent and lasting prosperity”—a false impression, as the years have proved.

In 1870 the Magisterial report stated: “Many miners have left for the Thames fields and for a new field south of Brighton. It was well ascertained that steam machinery was too expensive for the workings of Charleston. The population has been orderly and there has been little crime. There is a Catholic Church, a Church of England, and a Wesleyan Chapel. £80 has been raised for a public library, to which the Government added an equal subsidy. There is a Freemasons’ Lodge, an Oddfellows’ Lodge, and branches of the Union, New Zealand, and New South Wales Banks. There is also a hospital.”

The Mechanics’ Institute and Library was opened in 1871 and readings were given every Monday evening. £200 was raised for the hospital and other sums for the purchase of a piano and other furniture for the Institute.

In the same year, the charge of the Charleston district was taken over by Dr. Joseph Giles, the Warden of Westport and Brighton, who held a weekly Court.

The South-West Goldfields, which included the then unexplored stretches south of the Buller where later were the towns of Charleston, Addison’s Flat and Croninville, had been proclaimed a district on 31st July, 1865, and on 1st August of that year Mr. John Blackett was appointed Warden of the whole. In 1873 a District Board of six persons, under the Goldfields Local Revenue Act, was elected and functioned at Charleston, of which Mr. T. G. Macarthy was Chairman.