What happened
In 1851 Edward Hargraves announced a gold find in New South Wales, and richer fields were soon found at Ballarat and Bendigo in Victoria.
Background
Diggers rushed in from Britain, Ireland, Europe, China, and beyond, and Victoria’s population multiplied within a single decade. Gold underpinned exports and the building of cities.
Consequences
The surge in people and wealth built railways, ports, and cities and fed demands for a political voice. The gold rushes turned Australia from a penal outpost into a prosperous immigrant society.