Thomas H. Murphy, Miner and Adventurer

It was a colourful career that Thomas Herbert Murphy reflected upon in the summer of 1930. A lifetime that had been seen him in the mixed roles of sailor, blackbirder, prospector and Justice of the Peace.

Nova Scotia-born, he’d followed the will-o-wisp of adventure to the West Indies, Europe, China, the South Seas, New England, New Zealand, Australia, the United States and—finally—British Columbia.

As a seaman before the mast he’d known the great tea clippers. However, upon reaching Australia, he’d been bitten by the gold bug and, “once into mining you could not turn me to anything else". 

Like legions before and since, Murphy was addicted to seeking his fortune and he spent the rest of his life in search of El Dorado.

His colourful story in next week’s BC Chronicles.

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PHOTO:  Looking every inch the old prospector, Thomas Murphy, —findagrave.com