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First official reports of finding gold In Australia by J Mcbrien.The infomation was suppressed.
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Geologists P E Strzelecki Rev W B Clarke find gold near Hartley.
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Transportation of convicts creased.
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Gold found in California(announced in December 1848).
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California gold rush.Many great Austrailians sailed for California
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Governor Fitrzoy apporached the Colonial Office, advocating a policy for the exploitation of mineral resouces. He quested a geologist, which led to the appointment of Samuel Stutchbury. This gave approval for the mining of mineral resouces
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Edward Hargraves returned from California and washed at Summer Hill Creek, Ophir. Although he showed lillte skill in discovering new fields, he recieved recognition and financial rewards. The early rush to the NSW fields led to a serious decline in the population in Victoria, so a reward is offered for the discovery of gold in that region. Several claimants came forward, and by the end of 1851 the incredibly rich Ballarat and Bendigo fields were in productions.
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Prospectors starts arriving from overseas. Approximately 100000 arrived in 1852. Ships' crews deserted. Women were left while her husbands went in serach of gold.Australia's population went from 404276 to 1097305 between 1850 and 1860. Small gold desposits were discovered in New Zealand.
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The licence fee in NSW was reduced to 10/- a month after near riots at Turon. Victoria followed suit a few month later.
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Discontented with the licence system and lack of political rights came to a head in the Eureka Stockade. An inquiry followered.
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In Victoria, the licence was replaced with replaced with the 'miner's rights', costing 1/- per annum and carrying the right to vote. An export duty of 2s 6d per ounce was placed on gold instead.
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NSW adopted similar changes in licensing and votiing to Victoria
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A small deposit of gold was discovered north of Fitzory River in North Queensland. The few acres were soon exhausted by the arrivals. 5000-6000 footsore and penniless diggers had to be helped to return to Victoria or to the inland NSW goldfields.
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Gold discovered in British Columbia (25000 propestors).
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An influx of Chinese miners meant that by 1860 one fifth of all adult men in Victoria were Chinese
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Lambing Land roits, in which whites attacked Chinese miners.
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Workable gold found in New Zealand.Between 1861 and 1863, 64000 people travelled to Otago from Austraila, while only 8600 arrived from Britain.
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Gold dicovered at Coolgardie.
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A valuable gold field dicovered in Gympie, Queensland
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Valuable deposits of very deep gold discovered found in Rand, South Africa. It took money and machinery to extract this gold.
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Gold discovered in Kalgoorlie, WA
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The first goldfields were alluvial or surface goldfields, where the gold could be washed or winnowed from the soil. The life of these goldfield was short. In Victoria 1852, it was estimated that the value of gold found by diggers was an average of 324 oz per head. By 1856 it had fallen to 103 oz and it further decline to 78 oz per head. In Victoria in 1856, there were 115 000 propestors (or alluvial diggers)
