Hargraves Discovers Gold in New South Wales
Edward Hargraves' discovery of gold in New South Wales on February 12, 1851, marked a pivotal moment in Australian history, triggering a significant gold rush that attracted immigrants from around the globe. Born in Great Britain and having emigrated to Australia in 1832, Hargraves had a varied career, including attempts at sheep farming. His experiences during the California Gold Rush inspired him to return to Australia, where he suspected that gold deposits existed similar to those found in California.
Upon discovering gold at Summerhill Creek near Bathurst, he named the site Ophir and reported his findings to the authorities, earning a £500 reward. His discovery was later confirmed by a geologist, leading to an official announcement that would transform the region. The news spurred massive migration to goldfields, as countless individuals, primarily from Britain and America, sought fortune, leaving many Australian communities largely deserted. Hargraves’ find played a crucial role in shaping the demographic and economic landscape of Australia, establishing it as an important destination for future immigrants.
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Hargraves Discovers Gold in New South Wales
Hargraves Discovers Gold in New South Wales
On February 12, 1851, Edward Hargraves, who had traveled the world for 35 years without any notable success, made a discovery that would trigger the great Australian gold rush and bring floods of immigrants to that vast and sparsely populated continent. Hargraves was born in Great Britain in 1816 and emigrated to Australia in 1832, where he tried his hand at a number of occupations, including sheep farming. Ever the adventurer, he joined the tens of thousands of people from around the world who flocked to the United States during the famous California Gold Rush sparked by the discovery of gold at Sutter's Mill in 1848. Hargraves had very limited success in California, but while he was there he took note of the geographic similarities between the California gold fields and certain lands he had seen in the territory of New South Wales back in Australia.
He returned to Australia in 1851 and set forth immediately for the region where he was convinced that gold deposits must lie. There had already been some small finds, and the Australian colonial authorities had posted a reward of £500 for any commercially significant discoveries. On February 12, 1851, Hargraves made one of historic proportions, at Summerhill Creek near the town of Bathurst. He named the gold field that he had discovered Ophir and went to the authorities in the city of Sydney to inform them of his find and claim his reward. On May 22, 1851, after confirmation by a geologist, the government officially announced the discovery of gold. Hargraves got his £500 reward and shortly thereafter was appointed commissioner of the goldfields, an office that carried with it another £10,000.
Hargraves's find sparked a massive internal and external migration to Ophir and other gold fields nearby. Many Australian towns and farming communities were left desolate when the settlers were lured away by the prospect of easy riches. Thousands of people also came from all over the world to join the gold rush. Most of them were British subjects, although some were Americans (including a fair number who, like Hargraves, had been disappointed in California), and they helped to both populate the Australian continent and make it a destination for future immigrants seeking to profit from its natural resources.