Australian Gold Rushes Cassilis Mine, circa 1900The Australian gold rushes started in 1851 when prospector Edward Hammond Hargraves claimed the discovery of payable gold near Bathurst, New South Wales, at a site Edward Hargraves called Ophir. four months later, gold was found in Victoria at Warrandyte and Ballarat, and a short time later at Bendigo Creek. Gold was later found in all of the other Australian colonies (later known as states or territories). Discoveries of Gold in Australia before the rushes Prior to Hargraves claimed discovery of payable gold and he was also the first to find gold in Australia. Dylan Onie gold had been discovered in Australia by others but they had failed to result in the development of a the gold field. These minor finds included Reverend WB Clarke in 1841 with further finds in 1844. When Clarke reported his discovery to the New South Wales Governor George Gipps, Gipps asked Clarke to: "Put them away, Mr Clarke, or we shall all have our throats cut!". Gold finds in a convict society were not welcomed at the time. Although the NSW and Victorian governments later rewarded Clarke for his contribution, his financial rewards didn't compare to those for Hargraves. Other early gold finds in the colony were: 1814 Some convicts who were employed cutting a road to Bathurst were rumoured to have found a quantity of gold. 02/15 1823 The first verified discovery of gold in the colonies was by Assistant Surveyor, James McBrian, who discovered numerous parts of gold in Fish River, about 15 miles east of Bathurst, New South Wales. 1825 A convict flogged in Sydney on suspicion of having stolen gold, which he stated he had discovered in the bush. 1829 Mr Jackson Barwise claims he had his attention drawn to gold by a James Ryan. They wrapped the gold up and Mr Barwise took this back to Sydney where he was told to keep quiet or he would be locked up as being insane. This was supposed to be to stop the shepherds running away to find gold. 04/ 1839 Paweł Edmund Strzelecki discovered gold associated with pyrites at the Vale of Clwydd, in the Blue Mountains, New South Wales. 1844 Mr Alexander Tolmein, sent by Governor Grey to Kangaroo Island to capture a gang of bushrangers, reported that he had when about 20 miles S.S.W. from Melbourne seen a quartz reef with yellow metal in it, which he was afterwards convinced was gold. 1848 Gold specimens found on the spurs of the Pyrenees Mountains, Victoria; exhibited in the shop window of Mr. Robe, jeweller, Melbourne. 01/31 1849 Gold discovered at the Pyrenees, Port Phillip, by a shepherd. 01/ 1849 Thomas Chapman discovered gold at Daisy Hill, Victoria and sold it to Mrs. Brentani, Collins Street, Melbourne, a nugget which weighed 16 ounces. Afraid of the Melbourne authorities, the discoverer bolted to Sydney in the 'Sea-horse'. 1849 William Clarke, Jr., with William Vicary, found auriferous quartz at Smythesdale, Victoria. 01/ 1851 Edward Austin brought to Sydney a nugget of gold worth £35, which he found in the Bathurst District. 1851 Gold was discovered in Warrandyte, Victoria in what is now a state park. 1872 Worlds largest ever gold nugget was discovered by Bernhard Otto Holterman. First License The first license was issued in Victoria on September the 21st, 1851. The number of gold licenses issued in N.S.W., was 12,186, of which 2,094 were issued at the Ophir; 8,637 at the Turon; 1,009 at the Meroo and Louisa Creek; 41 at the Abercrombie; and 405 at Araluen, up to October 31, 1851. A Gold Nugget from Hill End, Unearthed in 1872 Other Discoveries 1851 Sofala, New South Wales 1865 Richard Daintree discovered the Cape River goldfield in North Queensland.[5] Attention soon moved to Charters Towers with a more significant field discovered in 1872. The same year mining began on the Palmer River 1872 Darwin felt the effects of a gold rush at Pine Creek after employees of the Australian Overland Telegraph Line found gold while digging holes for telegraph poles.