The Australian Gold Rush When and where did

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The Australian Gold Rush

The Australian Gold Rush

When and where did the Australian Gold Rush start? The first official discovery of

When and where did the Australian Gold Rush start? The first official discovery of gold in Australia occurred on the 12 th February, 1851. It was found in Lewis Ponds Creek near the town of Bathurst, New South Wales, by Edward Hargraves. Within days of his discovery, 2000 men were already at work trying to find their fortune. This was the start of the Australian Gold Rush.

How did the Gold Rush start? Hargraves received a £ 10 000 reward from

How did the Gold Rush start? Hargraves received a £ 10 000 reward from the government for the first official gold discovery in Australia. When news of the discovery spread, people from all over Australia and the world flocked to locations where they hoped to find gold.

How did the Gold Rush start? (Continued) Following the discovery of gold in Bathurst,

How did the Gold Rush start? (Continued) Following the discovery of gold in Bathurst, New South Wales, gold was also discovered in the following months in Clunes and Ballarat in Victoria. By the end of 1851, half the male population in Victoria were searching for gold in the Victorian gold fields.

Why was gold so important? Gold was and still remains today, a valuable and

Why was gold so important? Gold was and still remains today, a valuable and desired material: l It is incredibly rare as it is the only yellow metal found on earth. l The colour of gold never changes or rusts unlike other metals. l It is the heaviest metal on earth. l It is the easiest metal to work with as it can be cast into different shapes and widths like gold leaf, wire and gold

What impact did the Gold Rush have on Australia? Generated wealth for individuals and

What impact did the Gold Rush have on Australia? Generated wealth for individuals and the nation. l Population growth. l

What impact did the Gold Rush have on Australia? For the first 20 years

What impact did the Gold Rush have on Australia? For the first 20 years after its official discovery, gold replaced wool as Australia’s major export and generated much of Australia’s wealth. This wealth was invested into Australia as lucky diggers spent their gold buying goods and services as well as building infrastructure for personal investment. During the 1850 s Victoria grew much bigger and faster than New South Wales. By 1861, Melbourne replaced Sydney as Australia’s biggest city.

What impact did the Gold Rush have on Australia? Population Growth: During the gold

What impact did the Gold Rush have on Australia? Population Growth: During the gold rush, men left their homes, jobs and families to rush to the goldfields initially in New South Wales and Victoria, and finally even in Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania and the Northern Territory. Australia’s population grew enormously during the gold rush years. l In the 10 years between 1851 and

Where did people come from during the Gold Rush? Places of origin for the

Where did people come from during the Gold Rush? Places of origin for the first nine years of the gold rush After the gold rush, over half of these people stayed in Australia. This began Australia’s move towards becoming a multicultural

What was life like for those on the goldfields? Before getting to the goldfields:

What was life like for those on the goldfields? Before getting to the goldfields: The cities of Melbourne and Sydney were crowded full of hopeful Australian and overseas prospectors. Tent cities sprang up in all areas in both cities including as many as 30 000 people living in a tent city along the banks of the Yarra River in Melbourne. With no fresh water or sewerage, these sites were very unhealthy places to live.

What was life like for those on the goldfields? On the way to the

What was life like for those on the goldfields? On the way to the gold fields: Hopeful diggers did not want to waste time in town and were keen to make their way out to the goldfields. Most prospectors could not afford the cost of a carriage or horse to take them to the goldfields so, were forced to walk instead. It could take days to walk there because roads and tracks were poor. In good weather, people could walk 30 -36 kilometres a day. In bad weather, travelling was much slower.

What was life like for those on the goldfields? Life on the goldfields was

What was life like for those on the goldfields? Life on the goldfields was very different from what most diggers knew. In the rush to the goldfields, men often left families behind to live in simple canvas tents with little or no furniture. Most diggers wore different clothes and used new tools. Used to sleeping in a proper bed, men were now sleeping with a mattress of gum leaves. They worked long hours in any weather in the hope their efforts would be rewarded with the discovery of gold. In reality, very few miners were successful. After some time at the goldfields, men who were tired of sleeping in canvas tents built themselves substantial bark huts, some even with wooden shutters for windows and wooden floors.

What was life like for those on the goldfields? In the early years of

What was life like for those on the goldfields? In the early years of the gold rush, diggers ate simple meals of bread, meat and tea. Meat was either fresh lamb, beef or pork grilled over a fire, fried in a pan or salted so it would keep for longer. When this ran out, miners would hunt for kangaroo or rabbit. Damper was the bread of choice for miners as it was cheap and easy to make although it was generally thought to taste dreadful. Sickness was greatly feared on the gold fields. It was very difficult to stay healthy as there was little clean drinking water. The only water supply came from rivers, creeks and dams, and these water sources were used for washing and cleaning. There were no toilets and as a result people often got ill from poor hygiene. Only

What was life like for those on the goldfields? A digger’s life was dangerous

What was life like for those on the goldfields? A digger’s life was dangerous and many died trying to make their fortune. Accidents were common from causes such as shaft collapses, suffocation from poisonous fumes and gases, as well as accidents with machinery. In 1859, in Ballarat alone, one miner was killed in a mine each week.

How did people search for gold? There were many methods used to discover gold

How did people search for gold? There were many methods used to discover gold during the gold rush. l Panning for gold: the simplest way to find alluvial gold was to pan for it. This involved diggers using a round dish to wash soil and rock, found in creeks and river beds, in the hope of finding grains of gold residing in the pan. http: //www. metacafe. com/watch/1095202/how_to_pan_f or_gold/ l Cradling for gold: used the same mining technique as panning, but was able to search

How did people search for gold? l Shafts: Thousands of miners working on the

How did people search for gold? l Shafts: Thousands of miners working on the goldfields were quick to find most of the alluvial gold, so it was necessary to search for gold below the ground. A vertical hole dug, was called a shaft. From shafts, miners were able to dig tunnels off to the side and look for gold. It could take weeks, or even months to dig these shafts as they took so much more work and skill. Trees had to be cut down to provide support for the sides of the shaft and roofs of the tunnels. Even with these additions, it was a much more dangerous method of searching for gold.

When did the Gold rush end? l l l This first gold rush finished

When did the Gold rush end? l l l This first gold rush finished in the 1870 s. A second gold rush began in 1885 when gold was discovered in Western Australia. It continued through until the 1890 s. The third gold rush began in 1972 with finds in Telfer in Western Australia and continues today with new sites still being found.