HISTORY of gold in Australia
A small gold rush appears to be on the way to Victoria, Australia. According to a recent report, prospectors have recently found gold nuggets after the rains have flooded arable land.
This story reminds us of the obsession which Australia has demonstrated for over 17 years for research of gold nuggets. During the nineteenth century, important discoveries were the basis for the creation of the three largest mints in the country - Sydney (1855), Melbourne (1872) and Perth (1899).
It is difficult to identify who was the first European to find gold in Australia. The earliest discoveries were largely silent, because the effects they might have had among the population composed mostly of habitual criminals and mobsters.
The Anglican priest and geologist William Clarke Branwhite discovered gold in the Blue Mountain area in 1841. When he informed Sir George Gipps, the governor replied that: 'Hide it, Mr Clarke, or it will not happen long before we all have his throat cut.'
Ten years later, Edward Hargraves discovered gold near the region of Bathhurst. It is known to have announced to his companion over a meal, 'Today is a memorable day. I will be knighted, will make you my knight, and my old horse will be stuffed and displayed under glass in the galleries of the British Museum '.
Ignoring the advice of discretion, the geographic area named Hargraves Ophir, launched a wave of enthusiasm in the region, and launched the first gold rush in Australia.
His discovery was soon eclipsed by new discoveries in Bendigo and Ballarat. Before the year 1860, the only mines in the region of Victoria with more than 80,000 miners. In 1869, two lucky miners fell on the biggest gold nugget ever discovered - Welcome Stranger - near the town of Moliagul.
In 1893, many miners traveled from Perth to the interior after the word was blown about a major discovery by Irishman Paddy Hannan. Nicknamed 'Golden Mile', the region was described as the richest gold of the planet.
Unemployment during the Great Depression pushed many people to try their luck, especially after the discovery in 1931 of Golden Eagle, huge natural gold nugget 1235 oz.
The Great Depression was crossing his darkest hour when Jim Larcombe and his son of sixteen years, also named Jim, having lost all hope and having virtually no supplies, dug up a huge gold nugget. Other gold prospectors in the area heard their cries of joy, and now they say they would have thought that carrying a dead eagle Larcombes. The resemblance between the two is indeed undeniable, hence the name given to the Golden Eagle nugget.
Many people went to the Kalgoorlie area with no mining experience. The Director of the Chamber of currencies of Perth, Hugh Corbet, prepared a booklet titled Hints to Prospectors, in which he stated: 'Our children are very energetic and resourceful, but most lack the technical knowledge'. His book became extremely popular and was revised and republished many times (here is the original extract of 1933).
Some people dream of starting today in search of gold nuggets. But it is there to this day nuggets of gold in nature? If we believe the above article, it would appear so. But finding gold is not an easy task. As one expert has recently stated, '... it is a tedious task than learning to read the land and to recognize the places in which gold might be ... It's mostly a matter of luck'.
The history of gold miners in Australia was celebrated by the first program of striking gold in the country - the Australian Nugget. Launched 25 years ago, the room designed by Stuart Devlin represents some of the most important discoveries of gold nuggets in Australia.
A small gold rush appears to be on the way to Victoria, Australia. According to a recent report, prospectors have recently found gold nuggets after the rains have flooded arable land.
This story reminds us of the obsession which Australia has demonstrated for over 17 years for research of gold nuggets. During the nineteenth century, important discoveries were the basis for the creation of the three largest mints in the country - Sydney (1855), Melbourne (1872) and Perth (1899).
It is difficult to identify who was the first European to find gold in Australia. The earliest discoveries were largely silent, because the effects they might have had among the population composed mostly of habitual criminals and mobsters.
The Anglican priest and geologist William Clarke Branwhite discovered gold in the Blue Mountain area in 1841. When he informed Sir George Gipps, the governor replied that: 'Hide it, Mr Clarke, or it will not happen long before we all have his throat cut.'
Ten years later, Edward Hargraves discovered gold near the region of Bathhurst. It is known to have announced to his companion over a meal, 'Today is a memorable day. I will be knighted, will make you my knight, and my old horse will be stuffed and displayed under glass in the galleries of the British Museum '.
Ignoring the advice of discretion, the geographic area named Hargraves Ophir, launched a wave of enthusiasm in the region, and launched the first gold rush in Australia.
His discovery was soon eclipsed by new discoveries in Bendigo and Ballarat. Before the year 1860, the only mines in the region of Victoria with more than 80,000 miners. In 1869, two lucky miners fell on the biggest gold nugget ever discovered - Welcome Stranger - near the town of Moliagul.
In 1893, many miners traveled from Perth to the interior after the word was blown about a major discovery by Irishman Paddy Hannan. Nicknamed 'Golden Mile', the region was described as the richest gold of the planet.
Unemployment during the Great Depression pushed many people to try their luck, especially after the discovery in 1931 of Golden Eagle, huge natural gold nugget 1235 oz.
The Great Depression was crossing his darkest hour when Jim Larcombe and his son of sixteen years, also named Jim, having lost all hope and having virtually no supplies, dug up a huge gold nugget. Other gold prospectors in the area heard their cries of joy, and now they say they would have thought that carrying a dead eagle Larcombes. The resemblance between the two is indeed undeniable, hence the name given to the Golden Eagle nugget.
Many people went to the Kalgoorlie area with no mining experience. The Director of the Chamber of currencies of Perth, Hugh Corbet, prepared a booklet titled Hints to Prospectors, in which he stated: 'Our children are very energetic and resourceful, but most lack the technical knowledge'. His book became extremely popular and was revised and republished many times (here is the original extract of 1933).
Some people dream of starting today in search of gold nuggets. But it is there to this day nuggets of gold in nature? If we believe the above article, it would appear so. But finding gold is not an easy task. As one expert has recently stated, '... it is a tedious task than learning to read the land and to recognize the places in which gold might be ... It's mostly a matter of luck'.
The history of gold miners in Australia was celebrated by the first program of striking gold in the country - the Australian Nugget. Launched 25 years ago, the room designed by Stuart Devlin represents some of the most important discoveries of gold nuggets in Australia.
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