While he was in this area Barnes, Lorden and Trevethan found gold south of Roebourne, calling the claim ‘Keep it Dark’. They did not peg the claim before going to town and spending up on new equipment. As they had taken the long way round to get to town they felt confident that no one would be able to follow their track back to the gold find. Imagine their shock on heading back to the find to meet Arthur Bayley coming into town after following their track and finding their claim.

Bayley, being a ‘true prospector’ was a decent and honest man. On finding the site he saw that it was being worked and had pegged out claims on behalf of the men (who had neglected to do so) and had pegged one claim for himself as a ‘reward’ for his honesty.

After returning to Victoria for a holiday, Bayley came back to Perth in 1892 and went back out to Southern Cross where he met Ford again and the two decided to try their luck. They set out for the Yilgarn fields but their horses died from eating poison bush and they had to make their way back to Toodyay (one source says Southern Cross) on foot. Undaunted they re-equipped and set out again.

Note: The story at this stage seems to be a bit confused but an early source (first published in 1948) does not mention Bayley returning to Victoria or the horses being poisoned but instead says that when Bayley met Ford at Southern Cross the two made money by betting on Bayley's abilities as a fast sprinter. They took bets on a foot race against a local champion sprinter. Bayley won the race and the two men collected a good sum of 'shinplasters' ⁽¹⁾ in winnings.

Bayley told Ford about McPherson's tip and they decided to find McPherson who was at that time on a find about 300 miles north east of Geraldton. Bayley, Taylor and Harris went to find McPherson at Nannine which they did and also got onto some good gold at the same time. While working this area one source says that William Douglas attempted to ‘jump’ Bayley’s claim but when Bayley returned, he sent Douglas packing with only a water bag and a horse. Little did Bayley know that Douglas had hidden his ill gotten gains inside the water bag.

After he had collected as much gold as he could Bayley sent word to Ford, who was still at Southern Cross, and the two men arranged to meet in Perth to discuss the next prospecting trip.

The two men waited for the rains to come to Southern Cross and while they waited they tried (unsuccessfully) to find gold at Ularring. Bayley found gold further south at a place he later claimed was Black Flag but lack of water forced them to return to Gnarlbine Soak.  As they reached the soak the rains arrived, so they decided to go back north east to the spot they had found gold.

As they passed over a place later called Fly Flat, Bayley spotted a small nugget of gold and the two men specked the area finding 250 oz in a very short time. In a few days they had found a fortune. When their supplies ran out they had to return to Southern Cross where they decided not to say anything about the find, quickly re-supply and get back to the gold.

They were spotted leaving town by a 'new chum' by the name of Tommy Talbot. Talbot and his mates (Harry Baker and Dick Fosser) followed Bayley and Ford back to their find and started looking around. Talbot soon found gold but while he was talking to Bayley, Ford, un-noticed,  quickly moved one of the posts on his claim to include the area Talbot had found gold in. Again the story diverges here with one version saying that an argument ensued during which Ford pulled a gun and forced Talbot and his mates off the find. The second version says that although Ford altered their claim by moving a post, Talbot had neglected to peg a claim at all and so was forced to accept the law of the goldfields. Talbot and his mates did peg a claim south of Bayley's but in the end sold out for the very small sum of 800 pounds. There is some suggestion that they were cheated in this transaction by a fourth partner who was in league with those who purchased the claim.

Bayley rode the 120 miles west into Southern Cross on 17th September 1892 and deposited 554 ounces of gold with the Mining Warden. On the way he met a party of prospectors at Gnarlbine Soak and with the intent of putting them on to the new field asked if they had a map. He was rudely rebuffed and so told them nothing.

Within hours of the news leaking out, a frenzied rush to the town now known as Coolgardie had begun and with it, one of the greatest movements of people in Australia’s history.

Six months after Bayley’s find there were thousands of people living in tents on the Goldfields and Western Australia’s population had increased by about 400%. They arrived by bicycle, dray, horse or carrying their loads on their back, all intent on striking it rich.
 

It is said that when Bayley and Ford first arrived at Fly Flat they discovered a claim had already been pegged with the number 1888 on a piece of tin attached to one of the posts and it is believed the name attached to the claim was Ansden on behalf of Scott. Two skeletons were found in a nearby gully where they had been speared by Aborigines.

Bayley and Ford left the area as rich men after selling Bayley’s Reward for 24,000 pounds and Bayley’s South for 40,000 pounds. Bayley didn’t long enjoy his wealth. He married and purchased a property at Avenel in Victoria but died from hepatitis in 1896 at the age of 27 (another source says 31 and based on the birth and death dates we have found this appears to be correct). Ford did much better living until 80. Talbot made a fortune not from gold but from property and died in Perth in 1952.