Gold Rush By The_Awesome_Ninja :) Period: Jan 1, 1850 to Dec 31, 1859 Rapid opening of goldfields Jan 1, 1855 13 steam engines used to pump out water from goldmines in Ballarat. Jan 1, 1856 Scott Clow and Prebble opened the first cast-iron foundry in Melbourne Jan 1, 1858 135 steam engines used to pump out water from the goldmines in Ballarat Jan 1, 1860 Enoch Hughes opened a rolling mill in Melbourne Jan 1, 1861 342 steam engines used to pump out water from the goldmines in Ballarat