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Thomas Broham
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Portrait of Sergeant Thomas Broham, police officer in Westland at the time of the gold rush.
Thomas Broham
Reuben Waite and set up in business on their own account. They came to this decision because of the fact that an ever-increasing number of diggers were now arriving, for the most part from Canterbury, and that stores were few and far between. The Provincial Council, too, owing to this influx, resolved to appoint the necessary officials to take charge of the field and Sergeant Thomas Broham, of the police force, was instructed to proceed thereto without delay, Constable Cooper receiving orders to accompany him. W. H. Revell, who was at this time returning to the Grey, acted as guide for these two officers, the party travelling by the alpine route via Lake Brunner, arriving at Greenstone on August 21st, 1864. Prior to reaching the diggings they met Albert Hunt at the Taipo who had left Greenstone and was on his way to Christchurch to claim the £1,000 reward for having discovered a payable goldfield. Apart from this, Hunt had had serious trouble with other diggers, a battle royal taking place at Tracys, in which Hunt was outnumbered, having no friends nearby at the time. He, however,