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Period: to
The Australian Goldrush
This is the australian gold fever and for some other countries. -
First man to find gold in Australia
The first official person to find gold in Australia was J Mc Brien though the imformation was contained by the Government. -
Strzelecki & Clarke
Two more, Geologist P E Strzelecki and Rev W B Clarke, find gold near Hartley -
Transportation ceased
Transportation of convicts to New South Wales, Australia was halted. -
Gold in Calinfornia
Gold was found in California and was annouced in December 1848. This was different to Australia as the finding of gold was not announced until later. -
Governor Fitzroy's new policy
Governor Fitzroy arrives at the Colonial Office, supporting a policy for the extraction of minerals. He requested a geologist, which led to the appointment of Samuel Stutchbury. This made it legal to mine for resources. -
The start of the Californian gold rush
This was the year that the Californian gold rush erupted and many Australians set sail for California. -
Edward Hargraves finds gold
Edward Hargraves returned from California and found gold at Summer Hill Creek, Ohpir. Although he was not talented in discovering new fields, he received recognition and money. The early Californian and NSW gold rush led to the population in Victoria to to decrease so a reward was offered to a discovery of gold in the region. By the end of 1851 the rich Ballarat and Bendigo fields were in production. Licence fees of 30 pounds a month were imposed. -
More ships and more people
Fortune seekers started arriving from other countries. Around 100 000 prospectors arrived in 1852. The ship's crew were vacant. Women were left in their homeland while their husbands travelled in search for gold. Australia's population boomed from 404 276 to 1 097 305 between the 1850s' and 1860s'. Small amounts of gold were found in New Zealand. -
Fees reduced to 30 shillings per month
The license fee in NSW was reduced to 30 shillings a month after near riots at Turon. Victoria did the same a few months later. -
The start of the Eureka Stockade
Angry with the licensing system and insufficient amounts of rights came to The Eureka Stockade. An inquiry followed. -
The introduction of the Miner's Right
The gold licnce is replaced by the miner's right costing 1 pound each year compared to the 30 shillings. Now, the miners' have the right to vote. An export duty of 2s 6d per ounce was placed on gold instead. -
Changes for NSW
NSW adopted similiar changes in licensing and voting to Victoria. -
Gold in British Columbia
Gold was discovered in British Columbia attracting approxiamately 25 000 prospectors. -
Unfortunate decisions
A small amount of gold is found near Fitzroy River in Queensland. The area was soon crowded by 5 000-6 000 footsore and penniless diggers that had to be helped to return to Victoria or to the inner NSW fields. -
The Chinese on the goldfields
A rush of chinese miners to the goldfields meant that by the 1860s' one fifth of all adult men in Victoria were actually Chinese. -
Riots against the Chinese
1860 - 1861
The whites attack Chinese miners at Lambing Flat. -
Gold found in New Zealand
Workable gold is found in New Zealand. 64 000 people travelled to Otago from Australia though only 8 600 came from Britain. -
Gold in Western Australia
Gold is found in Coolgardie, Western Australia. -
Gold in Queensland
A precious gold field is found in Gympie Q.L.D. -
Gold is discovered in South Africa
Rich deposits of gold deep underground is found in Rand, South Africa. It cost lots of money and machinery to dig the gold out. -
Gold dicovered in Kalgoorlie
Gold is discovered at Kalgoorlie, Western Australia. -
Gold in Alaska
Gold is found in Alaska. -
The diminishing goldfields
The first goldfields were near the surface where the gold could be washed from the soil. The goldrush period was short. In Victoria in 1852, it was estimated that the value of gold found by diggers was an
average of 324 oz per person. By 1856 it had fallen to 103 oz and it further declined to 78 oz in 1865. In Victoria in 1856, there were 115 000 prospectors. By 1865, the number had declined to 80 000. Some diggers established a company but most went back to their homeland.
