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On hearing
that there was gold to be found, thousands of people left their
homes and jobs and
set
off to the diggings to find their fortune. At the start of the
gold rush, there were no roads to the goldfields, and no shops
or houses there. People had to carry everything they needed. They
travelled by horse or bullock, or by walking with a wheelbarrow
loaded with possessions. At first there were mainly men at the
diggings, but later on they were joined by their families. There
were a few women diggers however, and the rich Bendigo goldfields
were discovered by a woman.
At the
diggings, the gullies were filled with claims, and so the ridges
nearby soon became huge campsites. People lived in tents at first,
and later on huts made from canvas, wood and bark were built.
Gold buyers and traders set up
stores. Hotels and boarding houses were established, built of
wood and lined with calico. The government camps were made of
wood, and included a jail and accomodation for the soldiers. At
some goldfields there were even theatres where travelling performers
entertained the diggers.
A few
struck good finds of gold and became rich, but
many
did not. Mostly the people who did well were the tradesmen who
sold food and equipment, or landowners who sold land to people
who wanted to build homes and settle down after the gold rush.
Food and other goods had to be brought in by cart and so were
very expensive.
People
came to Australia from all over the world. Their intention was
to strike it rich and return home to their own countries. For
many, the journey to Australia took seven or eight months. There
were
many epidemics on
the ships, and those who survived the journey arrived at the goldfields
weak and unfit for the hard life on the diggings.
Fresh food at the diggings was limited, and the basic diet was mutton, damper and tea. Clean water was in short supply because the diggers muddied the creeks, so cleanliness was difficult. Sewerage was not disposed of in a sanitary fashion, and disease was common. There were a few doctors or chemists at the diggings, but not all were qualified. Many people died of diseases such as dysentery or typhoid.
Acknowledge this source
in your bibliography like this:
Sydenham & Thomas, Gold! [Online] www.kidcyber.com.au (2008)
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Updated 2008