The Australian gold rush
In 1851, gold was discovered in New South Wales in Australia. A few months later, an even richer gold field was discovered in Victoria. Thousands of prospectors from overseas rushed to the gold fields. Some became rich. But most did not find enough gold to pay their passage home. Many gold seekers stayed in Australia. As a result, the population soared from about 400,000 in 1850 to more than 1,100,000 in 1860.
Excerpt adapted from the "Australia" article, The World Book Encyclopedia © 1999