Jim was born on Gulgong, New South Wales. We used to say 'on' Gulgong -- and old diggers still talked of being 'on th' Gulgong' -- though the goldfield there had been worked out for years, and the place was only a dusty little pastoral town in the scrubs. Gulgong was about the last of the great alluvial 'rushes' of the 'roaring days' -- and dreary and dismal enough it looked when I was there. The expression 'on' came from being on the 'diggings' or goldfield -- the workings or the goldfield was all underneath, of course, so we lived (or starved) ON them -- not in nor at 'em.
Mary and I had been married about two years when Jim came -- -- His name wasn't 'Jim', by the way, it was 'John Henry', after an uncle godfather; but we called him Jim from the first -- (and before it) -- because Jim was a popular Bush name, and most of my old mates were Jims. The Bush is full of good-hearted scamps called Jim.
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