James NashPrint Page

A sandstone and marble fountain commemorates James Nash, the discoverer of gold at Gympie. Around 1939, the fountain was relocated from the Town Hall to the memorial park, close to the intersection of Reef Street and River Road. At this time the drinking fountain function was lost, and the upper section with sandstone urn and finials was removed.

In 1867, James Nash discovered gold in Nash's Gully, which later became the goldfields of Gympie. By October 31 that year, an area of 25 square miles around Nashville was declared the Upper Mary River Goldfields. Official figures for 1868 show 84,792 ounces of gold was taken out. Nash is said to have earned 10,000 pounds in 12 months on the field in addition to the thousand-pound government reward for finding gold. Unfortunately, he invested in mining companies on the field and lost much of his money. In January, 1912, Mr Nash was granted a pension of 100 pounds per year after retiring as keeper of the powder magazine at Traveston south of Gympie. He died in Gympie in October, 1913.

A meeting of contributors to the James Nash Memorial Fund was held in Gympie on the 20th November 1914. It was resolved to call for plans and prices for the erection of a memorial drinking fountain of freestone or granite on the Town Hall Reserve. It was also decided to ask the public for an additional £50, so that a sufficiently suitable fountain should be obtained.
The Brisbane Courier, 23rd November 1914.

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