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Copyright File- James Ring, Greymouth 'Photograph of Biddy'
Copyright File- James Ring, Greymouth 'Photograph of Biddy'

This is the second known photograph of ‘Old Biddy’ (aka Bridget Goodwin), the well-known West Coast gold digger of more than 30 years. Taken by James Ring Studios, it was registered for copyright protection on 31 July 1893.

‘Old Biddy’ was quite a character, she smoked a pipe, had a great fondness for gin and although she was small in stature she held her own among the goldmining community. Not much is known about her early life, but she is believed to have been born in Dublin sometime between 1802 and 1827. Being poor and illiterate her options were few, so she moved to Australia to take advantage of the gold mining boom and eventually arrived in Nelson in the mid-1860s.

During her journeys she found two men who travelled with her. Not much is known about the trio, but it is understood that they accepted her leadership in the backbreaking work that was goldmining in the area around Reefton and the West Coast. In the hope of finding elusive chunks of gold they would spend hours standing in freezing rivers, repetitively scooping up rocks and mud in heavy pans.

The trio never made much money and the little that they did earn was often spent on drinking large quantities of alcohol. By the Victorian standards of the day Biddy would have been considered an ‘immoral’ woman, living with two men and unmarried, with some people saying that her partner was a man named ‘Jack’ or ‘Bill’. Although it is possible that she was married at some point earlier in her life, no children have ever been recorded.

Despite those Victorian qualms about her private life she was well liked and well known. Her reputation for being tough in the face of poverty and hardship, her ability to stand up to the other gold miners (many of whom had long criminal records), her loyalty, hospitality and cleanliness all won the respect and admiration of the people of the area. She died in Reefton on 19 October 1899 between the ages of 72 and 96 years.

Archives reference: R26186804 collections.archives.govt.nz/web/arena/search#/?q=R26186804 AEGA 18982 93/35
To enquire about this record please email research.archives@dia.govt.nz
Material from Archives New Zealand Te Rua Mahara o te Kāwanatanga

Attribution Some rights reserved
Taken on: July 19, 2021
Sets appears in:   • Women in the Archives    • Registry of Copyrights   
Groups appears in:   • New Zealand ~ Aotearoa    • New Zealand    more » • Old Photographs    • West Coast, New Zealand    • New Zealand History    • ArchivesOnFlickr    • Capturing our culture    • Aotearoa - New Zealand photo memories    • New Zealand - Cities, Towns & Villages    « less
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Copyright File- James Ring, Greymouth 'Photograph of Biddy'

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