Page 132 - Ebook Explore Cape York

Explore Cape York 126
Maytown
Just south of the Palmer River Roadhouse is the turn off to the
80km-ish road to Maytown, a seemingly never-ending rollercoaster.
Expect a 2-3 hour drive.
Accommodation: Camping only. Permit required
Facilities: No amenities

Prior to the arrival of Europeans, the area around the Palmer River
was inhabited by the Kuku-Yalanji Aboriginal people who lived a
relatively peaceful existence until the discovery of gold. William
Hann, while exploring Cape York Peninsula in 1872, noticed
evidence of gold in one of the rivers he crossed. In 1873 the
prospector James Venture Mulligan led a party to the river and
returned with 102 ounces. He received a £1000 reward and his
discovery led to one of the last great gold rushes in Australia.

The first settlement on the goldfields was known as Palmerville,
with other settlements following shortly after – Maytown, an
important camp on the Palmer River, became the administrative
centre of the goldfields in 1879. By 1883 there were three banks, a
School of Arts, a hospital, two chemists and a number of hotels in
Maytown.

In September 1875 it was estimated that the goldfield had 4,000
Europeans and 10,000 Chinese, by 1877 there were 17,000
diggers on the field and by 1892 there were less than 1,000 people
living on the goldfields - the last inhabitants of Maytown lived in
the post office, leaving in 1950.

The Maytown/Palmerville area has had more than its fair share of
murder and mayhem dating back to the 1800 and 1900s, however,
it also has a more recent tale of gold fossicking, and murder with
the disappearance of Bruce Schuler (believed murdered). Two
books tell the story, Murder on the River of Gold : the Palmerville
Station murder by Robert Reid, and Struberville: Consequences of
Isolation (Red in the Centre) by Monte Dwyer. Neither of which
shouldn’t be read if you’re planning on camping on your own.