When were the Australian gold rushes?
The main Australian gold rushes began in 1851, when gold was found near Bathurst in New South Wales and then in Victoria at Ballarat and Bendigo. Later rushes followed in Queensland and Western Australia.
Edward Hargraves announced a gold find at Ophir near Bathurst in 1851, starting the first rush. Within months, even richer discoveries were made in Victoria, which became one of the richest goldfields in the world.
People flooded in from Britain, Ireland, Europe, America and China. Victoria's population grew from about 77,000 in 1851 to over 500,000 by 1861, and Melbourne became one of the world's wealthiest cities.
Later rushes
Gold was found at Gympie and the Palmer River in Queensland, at Charters Towers, and in the 1890s at Coolgardie and Kalgoorlie in Western Australia, sparking new booms.
The rushes brought great wealth but also conflict, including the Eureka Stockade and anti-Chinese riots at Lambing Flat.
Gold wealth paid for grand buildings, railways and public institutions, and it drew migrants who shaped Australian society. Chinese miners faced special taxes and restrictions, which later fed into the White Australia policy.
Many gold rush towns, such as Beechworth, Castlemaine, Hill End and Gulgong, still preserve their historic streets, and visitors can try gold panning at places like Sovereign Hill.
Did You Know?
The Welcome Stranger, found at Moliagul in Victoria in 1869, is the largest alluvial gold nugget ever discovered.