The Goldrush Pioneers
- Gold was first discovered in Bathurst in New South Wales, Australia in 1851. Once this happened, the newly formed colony in Victoria, transformed Australia economically, politically and demographically.
- The gold rushes occurred right behind a major worldwide economic depression. Large numbers of British, Irish, Europeans, North Americans and Chinese immigrated because of it.
- Edward Hargraves was the first man to stumble across the valuable solid and started the gold rushes straight away. In that year, NSW had about 200,000 people, most had something to do with the rushes.
- In 1836 a new colony separated from NSW and formed in South Australia. The gold rushes of the 1850’s brought a huge amount of settlers and the majority went to the richest gold fields at Ballarat and Bendigo, which in 1851 was separated to form the colony of Victoria.
Although there was some colonial development in the area, life on the goldfields was harsh.
Important trades here included the publican, the blacksmith, the apothecary, the barber, the surgeon and the wash house/laundry keeper.
Women made up a small amount of the population. Less than 20% in fact. They generally stayed home with the children. With the growing diseases in gold towns, it was extremely unhealthy place for children and children living in the digging had a very high death rate as the result of diseases that we, fortunately now only read about in history books.
The late 1850s and early 1860s bought in a gradual change to life in the diggings. After the first rush, in the excitement, families began to drift in to the mining towns and a sense of normality started to return. Diggers who rushed around finding gold had now settled in the mining districts they regarded as home. Churches and other public buildings started appearing and the residents of these towns believed in their future, as they believed that gold would always be a viable industry.
Females who lived in Northern California during the early years of the Gold Rush could name their ticket. The census of 1850 places the female population, by that time increasing, at less than 8% of the total inhabitants of the country, while in mining counties the proportion fell below 2%. Cadavers County showed only 267 women in a total of 16,884 Yuba, 2221 in a total of 9,673 Mariposa, 108 in 4,379, yet here only 80 were white women; Sacramento 615 in 9,087. Likely, in those days, women who were not Caucasian were only spottily counted. Not until 1855, when a railroad across the Isthmus of Panama was completed making travel through this disease-infested region somewhat safer did more women venture west.
Women were in much Women were in much demand in those early days. Steamboat agents would cry out “Ladies on board” to draw customers. Men conspired with relatives at home to bring out women who had not found husbands. A mercenary groom in Shasta advertised admission to his wedding, charging $5.00 a ticket, enough to set up a fine household.
One forty-niner discovered the print of a woman’s slipper in the mud. He followed the print for miles and came finally upon a camp, which he did not dare approach very closely. But peeking through the brush, he saw protruding from beneath the edge of the tent that very pair of slippers, with feet in them. However, great crude boots in the vicinity also contained feet, and the miner quietly left the camp without trying to acquaint himself with the slippers owner.
Word of the shortage of women made its way to France, and several companies of girls of good character landed in San Francisco. Here they were hired by gamblers and saloonkeepers at the then outrageous wages of $250 a month to sit beside the croupier and rake in the winnings or to dispense drinks at the bar. Their employers guarded them vigilantly for their presence assured an establishment increased custom; nevertheless, within a week or two they all had husbands. News of their success sped back to France, and women of a less sort set sail for the gold fields.
Women were in much Women were in much demand in those early days. Steamboat agents would cry out “Ladies on board” to draw customers. Men conspired with relatives at home to bring out women who had not found husbands. A mercenary groom in Shasta advertised admission to his wedding, charging $5.00 a ticket, enough to set up a fine household.
One forty-niner discovered the print of a woman’s slipper in the mud. He followed the print for miles and came finally upon a camp, which he did not dare approach very closely. But peeking through the brush, he saw protruding from beneath the edge of the tent that very pair of slippers, with feet in them. However, great crude boots in the vicinity also contained feet, and the miner quietly left the camp without trying to acquaint himself with the slippers owner.
Word of the shortage of women made its way to France, and several companies of girls of good character landed in San Francisco. Here they were hired by gamblers and saloonkeepers at the then outrageous wages of $250 a month to sit beside the croupier and rake in the winnings or to dispense drinks at the bar. Their employers guarded them vigilantly for their presence assured an establishment increased custom; nevertheless, within a week or two they all had husbands. News of their success sped back to France, and women of a less sort set sail for the gold fields.