Australian gold rushes Australian history Actions Share Share Share to social media Facebook X URL https://www.britannica.com/event/Australian-gold-rushes Share Share Share to social media Facebook X URL https://www.britannica.com/event/Australian-gold-rushes Written and fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Last Updated: Sep 6, 2024 • Article History Table of Contents Location: Australia (Show more) The discovery of gold in New South Wales in 1851 began the first of a series of gold rushes in colonial Australia—a defining era of its history. The gold rushes transformed the colonies and shaped Australia’s population and society as the lure of gold attracted miners, known as diggers, from all over the world. The resultant demographic changes, associated economic upheavals, and subsequent development of often rural areas left an indelible mark on the development of the region. Other Famous Gold Rushes In the 1840s prominent Scottish geologist Roderick Murchison predicted that New South Wales had economically significant deposits of ...(100 of 3366 words)

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