-
The opening of the goldfields in Australia created a great need of tools such as picks and shovels to fossick for gold. Steam enigines also came into use when mining gold.
-
The Gold Rushes of this time in NSW and Victoria led to wealth and an increased population. Sydney and Melbourne also became major cities due to the discovery of gold. Australians embraced in the new technology which included items such as the electrical telegraph, telephones, trams, gas nd the electrical light.
-
Steam engines were becoming increasingly popular with 13 steam engines at use in 1855, 135 in 1858 then coming to an increase of 342 engines in use in 1861.
-
The increased number of steam engines being used lead to an increase of repair and maintanance work needed to be done. So Scott Clow and Pebble opened the first cast-iron foundry in Melbourne.
-
Enoch Hughes established a rolling mill in Melbourne that later played a major role in establishing an iron and steel works in Lithgrow in NSW.
-
By this time, there were ten foudnrues open in Ballarat. Eight of these were used for mining equipment and the other two were used for farming equipment.
-
The financial boost to Austrlia given by the discovery of gold lead to another boom in the 1880's when the infastructure for the devolopment of an idustrial way of living was put in place.
-
The recession at this time caused a severe slow of industrialisation.