Gold
...h 1855 Conditions improve on goldfields, licence costs reduced, miners are allowed to vote in parlia- mentary elections and goldfields are run by new administrators AUSSIE GOLD LOCATIONS MAJOR ASSESSMENT What is Gold? Gold is a bright yellow precious metal. It was probably the first metal discovered by man and was being mined more than five thousand years ago by the Egyptians. Pure gold is one of the softest metals and can easily be beaten and hammered to extremely thin material and can be drawn into wire. It is also a good conductor of electricity. Why is it valuable? To most people gold represents wealth and prosperity. For thousands of years it has been valued by civilisations for decoration, jewellery and currency, mainly because it is soft and can be easily shaped and does not tarnish. Men have killed for it and died for it. Where and how is it used? Gold has many uses such as Jewellery, medicine (gold injections for arthritis), teeth, currency, paint, thread and gold plating. Gold is also used extensively in the electronic industry for plating contacts, terminals and printed circuits. They also use gold film in satellites to help control temperature and reflect radiation. It’s main use though is in jewellery, coins and ingots. Even the colour of gold is meant to show the item as being better than the rest (like the gold medals at the Olympic Games). How did Australia change as a result of the Gold Rush? As a result of news of the Gold Rush the population in Victoria rose from 80,000 in 1851 to 540,000 in 1861. The NSW gold fields didn’t have quite the same population explosion, they rose from 200,000 in 1851 to 357,000 in 1861. Most of the migrants came from the UK, Europe, China and the USA. With the change in population from overseas came also a change in the foods we eat. The Europeans introduced Australians to pastas and spaghetti, the Chinese to spicy stir-fries and rice and the Indians to curries. These foods have now all become a big part of the Australian diet. These newcomers also brought their different religions with them. While most of them were Christians there were others that were Buddhists, Moslems and Jews etc. All of these religions and many more are now accepted by us as a normal part of Australian life. EUREKA STOCKADE The Eureka Stockade was a dispute between miners and the troopers over the paying of a licence fee for the right to dig for gold and keep the gold that they found. The troopers were charging th...