The Australian Gold Rushes
Watch the above and below videos for a brief history of the discovery of gold.
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The discovery that changed a nationIn 1851, Edward Hargraves discovered a 'grain of gold' in a waterhole near Bathurst.
Hargraves was convinced that the similarity in geological features between Australia and the California goldfields (from where he had just returned) boded well for the search of gold in his homeland. He was proved correct. He named the place 'Ophir', reported his discovery to the authorities, and was appointed a 'Commissioner of Land'. He received a reward of £10,000, plus a life pension. The discovery marked the beginning of the Australian gold rushes and a radical change in the economic and social fabric of the nation. (Source: http://www.australia.gov.au/) 
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Skip forward to 24 mins to learn about the impact of gold in Australia
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Click on the image to play the interactive game and experience life on the Goldfields
Deserting towns, deserting shipsDespite the massive influx of people, many Australian towns were deserted. The rush for gold lured able-bodied men away from city centres to the gold fields. In a letter to Lord Grey, Secretary of the State, Victorian Governor Hotham, announced:
"Within the last three weeks the towns of Melbourne and Geelong and their large suburbs have been in appearance almost emptied of many classes of their male inhabitants. Not only have the idlers and day labourers in town and country thrown up their employments and run off to the workings, but responsible tradesmen, farmers, clerks of every grade, and not a few of the superior classes have followed. Cottages are deserted, house to let, business is at a standstill, and even schools are closed. The ships in the harbour are in a great measure deserted; and we hear instances where even the masters of vessels, foreseeing the impossibility of maintaining any control over their men otherwise, have made up parties among them to go shares." (Source: http://www.sbs.com.au/gold) |
High Cost of LabourThe rush to the gold fields and abandonment of jobs had a direct affect on the shortage and cost of labour both in cities and the country. Wages doubled between 1851 and 1853, but even at such inflated rates labour was difficult to find while surface gold was still plentiful. As the Argus reported in 1851;
"No wonder that the small shop keeper was shutting up and abandoning his counter; no wonder that seamen were running away from their ships, printers from their type, doctors from their drugs. In fact everything has assumed a revolutionary character." |
Significant People during the Gold RushEdward HargravesBy far one of the most colourful characters in the gold rush era was Edward Hargraves. It can be said of Hargraves that he single-handedly started the gold rush in New South Wales. Hargraves was definitely responsible for a major wave of immigration when he announced that he had found payable gold in New South Wales.
Larger than life Born in Skipton, England in 1816, Edward Hammond Hargraves was a larger-than-life character in every sense. A big man, weighing about 114kg, he was a sailor, publican, shopkeeper, adventurer and eventually a gold prospector. Hargraves started his search for gold as a prospector in California. Appointing himself leader of an expedition to the goldfields in 1850, Hargraves learned several prospecting techniques including panning, cradling and excavating, although he was relatively unsuccessful in his search. See image to the right On his return to Australia in 1851, Hargraves was struck by the similarities between the goldfields of California and the landscape of New South Wales. Hargraves reasoned that if the landscapes were so similar, then surely there must be similar deposits of gold waiting to be discovered. A foolish adventure? When Hargraves announced his intention to find gold in Australia, he was roundly criticised. This was not surprising, typically those who had returned from California empty handed were virtually ignored. The Inspector General of NSW police called the search for gold `wild' and `unprofitable'. Hargraves set out in search of the gold that he was convinced lay waiting to be discovered. He travelled directly to the plains of Bathurst, NSW. On his arrival, Hargraves met John Lister, a man who had already discovered gold in the region and who led Hargraves to the site of the finds. Encouraged by the discoveries, Hargraves promptly assembled a mining team consisting of Lister and two brothers, James and William Tom. Hargraves instructed them in panning techniques and mining methods he had learnt in California. The small operation was soon successful. Between them they excavated £13 worth of gold from the Summerhill Creek area. Hargraves rushed back to Sydney with the gold finds. When pressed for the exact location of the gold, Hargraves cleverly negotiated a reward for himself, £500. Hargraves's discoveries on the goldfield that he christened Ophir, had an immediate and significant effect upon Sydney society. Business and commerce ground to a halt almost overnight as clerks, bankers, labourers and servants downed tools and rushed west to the goldfields. Within three months over 1000 hopeful prospectors had converged upon the Ophir goldfields. See image to the right New South Wales proved to be a bonanza for prospectors. In 1852, the State yielded 26.4 tonnes (850,000 ounces) of gold. It did not take long for word to reach neighbouring colonies. Alarmed by the effect the news had upon the people of Melbourne, Victorian authorities promptly offered a reward of £200 to anyone who discovered gold within 200 miles of Melbourne. In 1851, just months after the announcement, gold was discovered at Ballarat and shortly afterwards at Bendigo. Fame Hargraves was appointed 'Crown Commissioner of the Goldfields' and received a reward of £10,000, plus a life pension. He capitalised on his new-found fame, travelling to England on a lecture tour as a self-titled 'gold expert'. Hargraves wrote books about the goldfields and was also presented to Queen Victoria of England . Hargraves never acknowledged the contributions of the Tom brothers or James Lister to his success. In fact he went to court when they demanded to be acknowledged as the first discoverers of gold in New South Wales. Hargraves won the case brought against him. He also was quick to silence his original financier to ensure that no claims could be made upon his wealth. Despite his jealously-guarded wealth and success, Hargraves died in relative poverty in 1891. He remains one of the most colourful and controversial characters to emerge from the gold rush era. (Source: Skwirk.com.au) |
Hargraves discovered the Ophir goldfields at Bathurst.
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One people's discovery, another people's loss - the effect on Aboriginal people
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Dispossessed The gold rush proved to be a second wave of dispossession for the Aboriginal people. Already marginalised by the first white settlement, the discovery of gold destroyed vast tracts of land and much of their traditional way of life. See image 1 The destruction of their environment and subsequently their traditional lifestyle was a major cause of grief for the Aboriginal people. Traditional food sources such as berries and plants, as well as the native animals they depended upon for meat were all destroyed as the Europeans cleared land and stripped huge areas of timber for their own needs. The influence of Western culture began to affect Aboriginal peoples in other ways. They were soon attracted to the white settlers' camps. Of particular interest to them were the settlers' mining implements such as axes, shovels and other tools for turning over soil. They also sought staples such as flour, sugar and tobacco. Effects of white settlement Possibly the most sought after commodity, and the most disastrous for the Aboriginal people, was alcohol. Unaccustomed to the effects of drink, they soon became addicted to it. Many Aboriginal people drank alcohol to excess, leading to a range of social problems within their tribal culture. A large number of diggers took a cruel pleasure in baiting Aboriginal peoples in various ways. Many were severely mistreated. On occasions they were given flour laced with arsenic, or they were even murdered. Aboriginal women were often taken from the camps. One of the worst effects of white settlement was the introduction of new diseases. Aboriginal peoples' lack of immunity meant that they had no defence against European illnesses and their traditional remedies had no effect. Diseases such as smallpox, measles and influenza decimated tribes around the goldfields. Opportunity For some Aboriginal people, white settlement brought new opportunities. Some tried to work with the diggers, offering their services as hunters or as general assistants, helping with the digging operations. Aboriginal people were also employed as law officers in Victoria. Native officers were frequently employed as escorts for gold shipments. They would travel with the shipments of gold (sometimes up to 2 1/2 tonnes) to their destination in Melbourne or Sydney. See image 2 Others were taken on as guides, or as cultural go-betweens. The police force also recognised the Aboriginal peoples' unique abilities to survive in the arid environment and sought to make use of their bush wisdom. Their marvellous abilities as pathfinders and hunters saw many Aboriginal people become an integral part of policing teams, creating the tradition of the `black tracker'. This existed for many years, becoming part of Australian bush life. See image 3 (Source: Skwirk.com.au)
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Native Police CorpsOne of the most significant and best-documented impacts Aboriginal people had on the gold fields was through the role of the Native Police. Members of the Native Police Corps were the first police on the gold fields.
The Native Police Corps was renowned for its ability to restore order using what some claim were heavy-handed tactics. Click on the left image to learn about the Native Police Corps. (Source: http://www.sbs.com.au/gold) |
Opportunities for AboriginiesThe appeal of gold proved irresistible to many European station hands and they left their jobs in large numbers. For many Aboriginal people the gold rushes were an opportunity to gain employment on pastoral runs and gain skills in station work.
Many worked on the sheep stations, provided their expertise of the land to gold hungry diggers, engaged in trade with the miners or were members of the Native Police Corps. Click on the right image to learn about the opportunities available to aborigines on the Goldfields. (Source: http://www.sbs.com.au/gold) |
Opportunities for Aboriginals on the Goldfields
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The Immigration Rush
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The discovery of gold started waves of immigration as people from all parts of the globe made the long, and sometimes dangerous, trek to Australia and the goldfields.
One group of people who emigrated were the Irish who were especially affected during the great Irish Famine. The journey was often risk-filled and the desperate Irish travelled on dangerous and rickety "coffin ships." These ships often noted high levels of fatalities. Many Irish travelled on the £1 emigration scheme. Another group of people who emigrated were the chinese. In the case of the Chinese miners, the majority were transported to Robe, a small fishing port in South Australia and then had to trek to the goldfields of Ballarat on foot - a trip of over 1000 kilometres! Despite the many difficulties they faced, the Chinese soon began to establish themselves in Australia. While many were successful in their quest for gold, others sought to establish themselves as entrepreneurs (an innovator, someone who recognises opportunities). Within a few years they opened a range of small businesses and occupations, including barber's shops, fortune tellers, shoe menders, herbalists and restaurants. (Source: Skwirk.com.au) Most middle class immigrants returned to the cities after the initial rush where many became prominent in business, politics and law. Some stayed on in the bush to help out with farming. The adaptability of the migrants reflected not only their youth, but also comparatively high levels of education and skill. Once established, the migrants helped in the development of institutions such as churches, schools, hospitals, newspapers, libraries and sporting clubs. They contributed to high marriage and birth rates beginning in the 1850s and continuing through to the 1860s. (Source: http://www.sbs.com.au/gold) |
