In November 1930, AHTB went with 3 friends on a short trip to "peg out" a claim for a gold mine (see 1930 section of website).  The results of the assay on the rock samples brought back were unsatisfactory!  But this had whetted his appetite for further gold prospecting, and some research was done into prospecting for alluvial gold by panning in rivers.  

Below are links to Notes provided by the Department of Mines, and others written by Bertie's friend Vic Boyd.  There are also Diary Notes made by AHTB from two longer prospecting trips, one from 27 December 1930 to 10 January 1931, and another from 30 January to 20 February 1931.

Bertie seems to have kept a handwritten diary in his own form of shorthand while living in camp, posting instalments in letters to Meta who remained in Sydney.  He typed up most of the notes later, but never transcribed the days' activities from 2 to 10 January 1931, which are very difficult to read and haven't been copied here (see example below).

After the trips Bertie wrote his own notes of advice "How to Become a Prospector: Simple hints for 'New Chums'".

Also filed with these diary notes is a 6 page Essay entitled "The Kangaroo" by AHTB, which is also included here.  Bertie's early job in Australia was in a firm which marketed animal skins, so he did know something about the subject!  On one of the days in early January, not transcribed, it seems that they took guns out to hunt for kangaroos, but (luckily!) didn't find any!