Gold Fever: Ballarat, Bendigo and Beyond

In 1854, Italian gold miner Raffaelo Carboni declared that the Australian gold fields were "a refuge for all the oppressed people's of the earth". Out there, sifting through dirt and rock, or ankle deep in filthy water at the bottom of a shaft, it didn't matter who you were, where you'd come from, what language you spoke, or the colour of your skin: everyone was equal on the goldfields. Except, they weren't. In this episode, I examine the treatment of three major groups on the goldfields: the Chinese, Indigenous Australians and African-Americans, to see how their lived experiences prove that egalitarianism on the goldfields was something extended only to white, European, preferably English-speaking men, with white Americans being invited to the party as well. I would like to warn my listeners that this podcast contains quotes from newspaper which use offensive and racist language. This language is only used when quoting and does not reflect my views or opinions.