Up until 1851 Australia had been a group of colonies that by in large generated all their wealth from farming and in particular cattle. Squatters dominated the vast tracks of land throughout and had much political influence. What conspired in the following two decades changed Australia forever. The discovery of gold in New South Wales, Victoria and then Western Australia had dramatic consequences for Australia.
The story of gold in Australia is best told through analysis of modern day Victoria. Historian Richard Broome remarked that it was rare in history to see a society so radically transformed as Port Phillip was from the year 1851 onwards. What had been an illegal settlement, Portland, founded by the Henty family in 1834 was originally a vast track of uninhabited land excellent for grazing sheep. A settlement on the Yarra was eventually founded by John Pasco Fawkner and was used primarily for grazing sheep. The growth of Melbourne was slow, many colonists came from Britain, as well as Van Diemon’s Land, New South Wales and the Swan Colony with an intent to make use of the vast amounts of land available that had been described by explores such as John Batman as superior to any they had ever seen.
What transpired in 1851, following the discovery of gold in a Warrandyte creek changed the path of the colony of Victoria forever. David Hill described how Victorian towns were deserted, as men ventured to the central Victorian goldfields in search of their fortunes. Likewise, Governor Latrobe talked of a mania amongst the people at the news of a discovery of gold. At the time of its unearthing, the population of Victoria was well below 80,000 with Sydney being the dominant city in Australia. However, as Hill points out, by 1860, Victoria’s population had reached 500,000 and accounted for over half Australia’s total population. The population boom in Victoria was fuelled by immigrants from across the globe, with huge numbers of colonists coming from Britain, California, other parts of Australia and China in search of their fortunes.
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| This original artwork by Robert Russell depicts Collins Street in 1844, it shows economically the state of Melbourne prior to the discovery of gold. (Source: State Library of Victoria) |
With the coming of new settlers, came new ideas. Diggers had, according to Broome, come to Victoria with aspirations of freedom, independence, a better life and citizenship. Likewise, there was a desire for an increase to workers’ rights which included the eight hour day. The growth in population and expansion of industries other than farming meant individuals sought representation in the Parliament of Victoria. At the time however, squatters had undue influence, as voting power was given to those who owned land. Historian, G. R. Quaife makes the point that issues arose in colonial society as to the disproportionate amounts of land allocated to squatters and the lack of political rights given to the diggers. The allocation of land to squatters was, as Broome describes an important reason for the Eureka rebellion 1854.
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| This wood engraving from 1888 depicts the diggers at Bakery Hill swearing allegance to the Southern Cross. Led by Peter Lalor, the Eureka rebellion precipitated political reform in firstly the colony of Victoria and then throughout Australia. (Source: State Library of Victoria) |
By the mid 19th century land ownership symbolized freedom from wage slavery and allowed people to be self employed and not at the mercy of the employer as was often the case in Britain. Miners had growing frustrations aimed at administrators who increased the cost of mining licenses. A clear reference to this is made in the oath of the Ballarat Reform League that states ‘taxation without representation is tyranny’. Not only did administrators make decisions on behalf of miners that had no political representation, but they did it at times when gold discoveries were becoming harder for diggers, resulting in economic hardships and frustrations. These factors led to one of the most symbolic events in Australian history, The Eureka Rebellion.
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| This postcard from 1907, depicts the full effect the gold rush had on Victoria. This image of Collins street looking East shows the level of development which occured because of gold, and likewise depicts new technologies which came to the City of Melbourne such as the tramways. (Source: State Library of Victoria) |
The legacies of the gold rushes in Eastern Australia in the mid 19th century were profound. Economically, gold saw increased British confidence in the region, resulting in large amounts of colonial investment in the colonies. By the 1880’s Melbourne had become one of the most prosperous cities in the world. It was known colloquially as ‘Marvelous Melbourne’ and grand infrastructure and public works mirrored the opulence of the city. Buildings such as the State Library and Melbourne Town Hall reflect the vast amounts of money being generated by the colony during the latter part of the 19th century. Likewise, political advancement mirrored the growth and modernization of the city, with manhood suffrage extended to Victorian males. Similarly land was taken off squatters and sold to diggers allowing private enterprise to prosper in the colonies.
Gold however, led to the first racial discrimination in Australia. This was towards the Chinese who had come in search of their fortunes. Chinese success, combined with a fear of the yellow peril and cheap Chinese labour fuelled anti-Chinese governmental policies and a hatred of the Chinese amongst diggers. These sentiments were increasingly portrayed throughout the latter stages of the 19th century with The Bulletin and Boomerang newspapers constantly including anti Chinese cartoons. These public sentiments, were translated into governmental policies, firstly in 1855 and then in the form of the Natal Act of 1897 and the Immigration Restriction Act 1901.
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