The Australian Gold Rush

When and Where the Gold Rush started

Edward Hammon Hargraves was the man who had started this Australian Gold Rush. Ophir, not far from Bathurst was a start for the gold rush. On the 9th of August 1851 Victoria had it's first time at finding gold at Sovereign Hill near Ballarat. On that month they also gained their independence from the New South Wales colony. Ballarat goldfields were known to be rich and filled with precious gold. The actual gold rush had begun when announced was a gold discovery at Mount Alexander, north-east of Ballarat by about 60 kilometres near the town of Bendigo.

How the Gold Rush started

In 1823 James McBrien was a man who had found traces of gold somewhere near Bathurst, NSW, Australia. In case of convicts, soldiers and slaves stopping their work and going out to hunt for their future life's needs anyone who had found gold would be told to keep quiet. WB Clarke discovered a gold nugget in 1841, showing it to his governer and the governer replied with a hush and told him to quickly hide it or put it somewhere safe where no one would find it. In 1851 a man named Edward Hargraves who had recently come back from goldfields in California was unsuccessful. At Summer Hill creek he and his brothers panned and mined for gold. He was rewarded with a fine nugget of gold. Word spread quickly as it was published in the Sydney Morning Herald. By then a thousand or so men had canceled their tickets for California some even left their homes just to find their fortune.

Where the prospectors came from 

Most of the prospectors come from America. Other prospectors came from Asia and Europe. Gold prespectors came from all over the world to search for gold. Some mining, some panning and some even digging. All they came for was their future wealth. Some were lucky, some weren't as much. The refugees were charged twenty dollars a month to dig for gold also known as five hundred and sixty dollars in today's money.

How the prospectors got there 

Most of them got to the gold fields by any way they could if it meant getting there before all the goods run out. The gold fields would be few kilometres or more away from town. The richer people have horses to ride or coach. Coaches operated daily so people can hire one to take them to the gold fields. The most popular mode of transport was walking. Not many of them had enough money to buy horses or hire coaches.

 What countries were involved in the Gold Rush

The countries that were involved in the gold rush were North America, South America, Australia, New zealand, China and Europe. The gold rush had mainly started in Australia. All the countries and most of the people had canceled or left whatever they were planning to quickly buy tickets for Australia. Australia's gold fields can be trustworthy and promising to lots of precious GOLD!!! 

Hardships and triumphs on the gold fields 

Life in the gold fields were extremely difficult. The conditions were horrible with the water polluted. People usually lived in tents that were small but enough for a family of at most three people. The mother, father and the baby. If there were any other children they would have to find or build a shelter somewhere else. In the tent there would be a double bed, a drawer where the baby will sleep quite cosily and comfortably. At the end of the tent there would be a fireplace where they would cook their dinner.  The reason they had the fire place at the back of the rooms was because the smoke could go out the chimney.

The air would be polluted and stuffy not to mention quite hot. People would have a cage with a fly screen around it where they would store their daily meat. It keeps the meat a bit cool and stops it from rotting for a little while. If it were to be left in the cage a little too long then the meat would begin to rot and smell, meaning a whole cage to clean. YUCK!!! During the day the men would go farm for gold while the woman would stay in the tent guarding the children or helping their husbands search for gold in nearby creeks. Children will also tend to help their fathers by rampaging for gold somewhere in the nearby woods or creek. There are also mines. Men would go to the mines which are made of wood so they can tell when the earth is moving and get out of the way before the rocks give way. They would mine for gold by digging with shovels and picking with pickaxes. Most would work for 12 hours a day coming home with supper waiting for them.

Water on the gold fields were unhealty and diseased. Once it was drank by someone, the person would be going to the doctors to help them get cured up. As not all doctors were great those days like we are provided with now, the patient would eventually die. Not many survived.  Many could not afford to see the doctors so they were left to feel sickly or die of bad disease. Children mostly die of diseases because they are too young and can't stand the unbreathable air or undrinkable water.