Gold Rush

By the mid 1800s, Australia (known as the Colony of New South Wales until 1824), had thrown off the shackles of its penal past and was becoming a prosperous place where clever businessmen and entrepreneurs could seek their fortunes. However, the incident that most changed Australia�s fortunes was the discovery of gold in the 1850s. This precious metal lured millions of �diggers� from around the world to the goldfields of the continent from 1851, most of whom stayed on in Australia whether they made their fortunes or not. As a result, Australia�s population doubled in a decade.