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This report, originally printed in the Bathurst Free Press, is taken from the New Zealand Spectator and Cook’s Strait Guardian, of the 29th of May, 1852.
“THE GOVERNOR-GENERAL’S VISIT TO OPHIR. - On Monday last his Excellency Sir Charles A. Fitz Roy, accompanied by the Hon. the Colonial Treasurer and son, George Fitz Roy, Esq., the Governor’s Private Secretary, Mr. Commissioner Hardy, Captain Batty, and Mr. District Commissioner Green, left Bathurst and proceeded as far as Mr. Commissioner Green’s station at Swallow Creek, where the party took up their quarters for the night. On the following morning, after an early breakfast, his Excellency and suit mounted for Ophir, and arrived at the sheep station about two miles from that place between 11 and 12 o’clock, where they where met by Mr. Assistant Commissioner Hamilton, [Gold Commissioners]and his troopers and the clerk of petty sessions. The official party then proceeded in the direction of the once famed Ophir, and just before arriving at the crossing place at Lewis’s Ponds, a party of about thirty horsemen respectfully welcomed the representative of Queen Victoria, and then formed a line, and accompanied him to the Police Station, and on alighting, his Excellency was received with hearty and long-continued cheering. Shortly afterwards an address was presented to the Governor-General by Mr. Benjamin White, signed by nearly 150 miners and residents, to which his Excellency made a suitable reply. Several gentlemen were then presented to his Excellency, and then the whole town moved on in the direction of the township, about a mile further on. In consequence of the lateness of the hour, and his Excellency having to return to Swallow Creek that day, an inspection of the draining of the water hole by Mr. White for Messrs. Samuel and M’Intosh was the only thing of particular moment which his Excellency could have noticed with any degree of satisfaction. After the party returned to the commissioner’s they partook of luncheon, which for goodness, if not for variety, could not be excelled in the metropolis. Having done justice to the good things of Ophir, his Excellency and suite took their departure, and slept that night at Mr. Commissioner Green’s which place they left on the following morning, and arrived in Bathurst shortly after noon.”
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