GOLD FEVER IN AUSTRALIA...
 

While Australia should have been only a penitentiary colony, discovery of gold in 1850s attracted in massives doses new free european and asiatic settlers.

While some of them left empty-handed, others made their fortune. Financial power of Melbourne was because of the gold rush. Many of them died of thirst in the very dry outback.


Maldon


Maldon

Some towns like Maldon in Victoria, 1000 inhabitants today, welcomed till 20 000 seekers of gold in 1853. Seeking with picks and pans, living conditions were really terrible and life expectancy was very low.

Kalgoorlie is a town lost in the outback, living with the gold found in the ground near the town. The atmosphear is very special, unhinabited by many gold miners, pubs are the house of these miners, where sometimes waitresses are almost naked!


Kalgoorlie (WA)


Gold seekers

Many gold fosseekers stop at Weddeburn in Victoria. Even with a metal detector, prospecting is very hard. Sometimes you find nuggets, sometimes not...

Today, gold seekers are still suffering from gold fever. Of course, the way of fossiking are not the same that in 1850s. The pick is used with metal detector.


Gold nuggets
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