Life on the goldfields |Rodger Allen Gold Mine

Life on the goldfieldsLife on the goldfields
ByBy
Rodger Allen Gold MineRodger Allen Gold Mine

ContentsContents
 PeoplePeople
 TransportTransport
 HousingHousing
 Law and orderLaw and order
 ClothingClothing
 HealthHealth
 FoodFood
 EquipmentEquipment
 BibliographyBibliography

PeoplePeople
 People were very mean, nastyPeople were very mean, nasty
and cruel to the Chinese andand cruel to the Chinese and
the aboriginals because theythe aboriginals because they
were different. The whitewere different. The white
people teased, threatened andpeople teased, threatened and
insulted different people toinsulted different people to
them.them.
 It was terrible for the childrenIt was terrible for the children
on the goldfields. Most familieson the goldfields. Most families
could not afford to by shoes forcould not afford to by shoes for
there kids only the richthere kids only the rich
families. Many children on thefamilies. Many children on the
goldfields caught sicknessesgoldfields caught sicknesses
because they didn’t wearbecause they didn’t wear
proper clothes.proper clothes.
 Most of the diggers on theMost of the diggers on the
goldfields were English. Mostgoldfields were English. Most
English were very stubbornEnglish were very stubborn

PeoplePeople
 In 1857 at the Buckland ValleyIn 1857 at the Buckland Valley
riots broke out between minersriots broke out between miners
and 22 Chinese miners wereand 22 Chinese miners were
killed.killed.
 On the goldfields there were exOn the goldfields there were ex
convicts, Polish soldiers, Dutchconvicts, Polish soldiers, Dutch
sailors, English doctors, policesailors, English doctors, police
(troopers), Sly grog sellers,(troopers), Sly grog sellers,
Chinese labourers and nativeChinese labourers and native
Australians. There were alsoAustralians. There were also
countries from all over the worldcountries from all over the world
that came to the gold fields likethat came to the gold fields like
Europeans, North America, SouthEuropeans, North America, South
America, Indians and Africans.America, Indians and Africans.Rodger Allen Gold MineRodger Allen Gold Mine

TransportTransport
 People on the Goldfields mostlyPeople on the Goldfields mostly
traveled by foot for four milliontraveled by foot for four million
man miles through swamps,man miles through swamps,
deserts and mountains each day.deserts and mountains each day.
All the poor families could onlyAll the poor families could only
get to places by foot becauseget to places by foot because
they couldn’t afford horsesthey couldn’t afford horses
because they were verybecause they were very
expensive. The rich families thatexpensive. The rich families that
found gold Traveled by horsesfound gold Traveled by horses
and carriages. Some peopleand carriages. Some people
came to the goldfields bycame to the goldfields by
donkeys or bullocks becausedonkeys or bullocks because
they can carry large amounts ofthey can carry large amounts of
weight.weight.
 People from other countriesPeople from other countries
came to the goldfields by shipcame to the goldfields by ship
because there was no other waybecause there was no other way
to get over seas.to get over seas. Rodger Allen Gold MineRodger Allen Gold Mine

TransportTransport
 Most of the miners usedMost of the miners used
wheelbarrows to transportwheelbarrows to transport
gold to other destinationgold to other destination
on the gold fields or toon the gold fields or to
carry stuff to their tentscarry stuff to their tents
like food and equipment.like food and equipment.
 In the mines the otherIn the mines the other
miners used steam trainsminers used steam trains
to get out of the mine orto get out of the mine or
to transport gold to theto transport gold to the
end of the mine.end of the mine.

HousingHousing
 The housing on the goldfieldsThe housing on the goldfields
usually was tents or hutsusually was tents or huts
covered by bark roofs.covered by bark roofs.
Eventually there was aEventually there was a
change of housing changedchange of housing changed
there were stone buildingsthere were stone buildings
and bark huts. Theand bark huts. The
mattresses were stuffed withmattresses were stuffed with
leaves. The miners sat onleaves. The miners sat on
logs and sometimes sanglogs and sometimes sang
songs around the camp firesongs around the camp fire
because they didn’t have anybecause they didn’t have any
TVs or computer games. TheTVs or computer games. The
Chinese slept in tents butChinese slept in tents but
they didn’t sleep near thethey didn’t sleep near the
other cultures because theyother cultures because they
had there own little placehad there own little place
surrounded by fences.surrounded by fences.

HousingHousing
 The AboriginalsThe Aboriginals in thein the
goldfields slept in tents like thegoldfields slept in tents like the
Chinese people did but in aChinese people did but in a
different area because thendifferent area because then
the Chinese would get mixedthe Chinese would get mixed
up and so would theup and so would the
Aboriginals because they areAboriginals because they are
sleeping in the same area.sleeping in the same area.

Law and OrderLaw and Order
 Before the gold rushesBefore the gold rushes
there was only 44there was only 44
soldiers and a handful ofsoldiers and a handful of
police to control all thepolice to control all the
miners.miners.
 In 1852 each goldfieldIn 1852 each goldfield
was run by awas run by a
commissioner, assassin,commissioner, assassin,
clerke and inspector ofclerke and inspector of
police.police.
 When the miners got outWhen the miners got out
of hand they sometimesof hand they sometimes
established an army or aestablished an army or a
special police force.special police force.

Law and OrderLaw and Order
 Miners were fined theMiners were fined the
equivalent of ten dollarsequivalent of ten dollars
for not having a licence,for not having a licence,
thirty dollars if caughtthirty dollars if caught
again and if caught a thirdagain and if caught a third
time the miners weretime the miners were
fined sixty dollars.fined sixty dollars.
 Much of the police forceMuch of the police force
was made up of ex-was made up of ex-
convicts from Vanconvicts from Van
Diesman’s landDiesman’s land
(Tasmania) and most of(Tasmania) and most of
the police force to try theirthe police force to try their
luck as a miners.luck as a miners.

ClothingClothing
 Because the miners worked forBecause the miners worked for
long hours their clothes gotlong hours their clothes got
really worn out.really worn out.
 They really only wore WhiteThey really only wore White
shirts, straw hats, frock coats,shirts, straw hats, frock coats,
gloves, underpants, hardgloves, underpants, hard
wearing pants, rain protection.wearing pants, rain protection.
Some wore boots some woreSome wore boots some wore
shoes but most of them couldshoes but most of them could
not afford shoes or boots sonot afford shoes or boots so
they had to go barefoot.they had to go barefoot.
 The Chinese wore baggyThe Chinese wore baggy
pants and large coolie hats.pants and large coolie hats.

HealthHealth
 There was little medical helpThere was little medical help
on the goldfields so the healthon the goldfields so the health
of the diggers wasn’t veryof the diggers wasn’t very
good.good.
 Diggers didn’t shower or batheDiggers didn’t shower or bathe
very often especially invery often especially in
summer because the watersummer because the water
was very dirty and in short use.was very dirty and in short use.
 There was a doctor thoughThere was a doctor though
that was called Doctor Eadiethat was called Doctor Eadie
that created the sarsaparillathat created the sarsaparilla
pill that was a cure for allpill that was a cure for all
goldfields ailments.goldfields ailments.

FoodFood
 Food on the goldfields was veryFood on the goldfields was very
poor and most of the people atepoor and most of the people ate
damper. Damper was a food thatdamper. Damper was a food that
miners made themselves.miners made themselves.
 Fruit and vegetables were rareFruit and vegetables were rare
and not many people ate themand not many people ate them
there for the miners they werethere for the miners they were
deficient for fruit and vegetables.deficient for fruit and vegetables.
 The miners, diggers andThe miners, diggers and
panners had to catch there ownpanners had to catch there own
food for example: trout, tuna,food for example: trout, tuna,
meat etc.meat etc.
 It was a treat to them to eatIt was a treat to them to eat
mutton because it wasmutton because it was
expensive.expensive.

FoodFood
 People became alcoholics veryPeople became alcoholics very
easily and spent a lot of moneyeasily and spent a lot of money
on rum, bourbon and whisky.on rum, bourbon and whisky.
The miners, diggers andThe miners, diggers and
panners got the alcoholics frompanners got the alcoholics from
a sly grog dealer. Alcohol was aa sly grog dealer. Alcohol was a
big problem on the goldfields.big problem on the goldfields.
 Some of the people on theSome of the people on the
goldfields had biscuits. Cakes,goldfields had biscuits. Cakes,
scones and puddings werescones and puddings were
popular desserts.popular desserts.
 The diggers ate any type ofThe diggers ate any type of
meat that they could find on themeat that they could find on the
goldfields.goldfields.
 The bread back then was 50The bread back then was 50
cents and a meal was 40 cents.cents and a meal was 40 cents.
 The diggers kept there foodThe diggers kept there food
fresh by either salting the food infresh by either salting the food in
short time of killing.short time of killing.

EquipmentEquipment
 The people on theThe people on the
goldfields usually usedgoldfields usually used
pans because they werepans because they were
easy to use and theyeasy to use and they
weren’t hard to use andweren’t hard to use and
where light weight. Theywhere light weight. They
also used cradles,also used cradles,
sluices, chisels andsluices, chisels and
dynamite.dynamite.
 The miners used picketThe miners used picket
axes in the mines toaxes in the mines to
crack rock. Spades werecrack rock. Spades were
a good tool to use whena good tool to use when
you wanted to dig foryou wanted to dig for
gold.gold.
 The puddling tub was aThe puddling tub was a
larger version of a panlarger version of a pan

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Life on the goldfields |Rodger Allen Gold Mine

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