James Cassell

OLDEST CRESWICK RESIDENT

 

This article appeared in the Creswick Advertiser on 1^st December 1933

 

Mr Jas. Cassell 77 yesterday

Who is the oldest native of Creswick still living within the borough boundary?

Yesterday we met Mr Jas. Cassell, of Luttet Street, Creswick.  It was the 77^th anniversary of his birth and though he does not actually claim to be, he thinks he is the oldest native still residing in the town.  Perhaps there is some other person who can claim the honour and if so it would be interesting to note who is Creswick’s oldest native.

Many people can no doubt lay claim to a greater age than Mr Cassell but they were not born here.

Mr Cassell was born in a tent within the borough boundary on 30^th November, 1856, the exact location of the tent being between Mr W. .Pavarno’s former home and Mr J. Ellis’ home near Luttet Street.  It was a good tent too, Mr Cassell will tell you, and there was plenty of gold here in those days, he adds, but there was starvation, too, just the same as today.

Mr Cassell is still very active;  he is a well known personality, and has a great fund of reminiscences.

He has lost the sight of one eye but says he can still see a speck of gold and will be out today after yesterday’s heavy rain, specking for some “colours”.

Mention of the heavy rain yesterday took him back over sixty years to 1869 when the greatest flood in history occurred in the Creswick creek. Davies’ bridge at the lower end of Albert street was washed away in that flood, and only one beam was left standing, said Mr Cassell.  The water stretched across the road to Laby’s flour mill (now the site of Mrs A. Pasco’s home).  Mr Cassell was then a lad delivering meat for one of the local butchers.  He did not continue in that trade though for he followed the general occupation here in those days – that of mining – and has spent the greater part of his life mining in various parts of the State.  He did not stick to gold mining all through for he spent ten years working on the tin mines at Derby (Tasmania) and could recount interesting history of that place which is known to the writer.

Mr Cassell is also known as one of the few remaining survivors of the relief party which did rescue work at the time of the Australasian mine disaster on 12^th December 1882.  He and Mr W. Noonan, of Long Point, Creswick are the only members of that rescue party at present living in Creswick.  Mr Noonan yesterday confessed to being five years younger than Mr Cassell, as he extended his birthday greetings to the latter.

Mr Cassell continued to recount many early day happenings from which it was gathered that he was acquainted with Peter Lalor of Eureka Stockade fame.  Then when he recalled Quinn’s brewery up Cabbage Tree way and said the first manager of that was Pat Montgomery, father of Miss Montgomery, of the Farmer’s Arms hotel, Creswick, our only regret was that there was not more leisure hours in which to hear further of the early history in connection with this famous town.

Mr Cassell resides with his wife not far from the spot where he was born.

 

NB.  If anyone has a photograph of Mr James Cassell to add to this story, please contact Creswick & District Historical Society.   Mr Cassell died three years later in August 1936

The Pavarno family later changed their surname to Capuano.