My life during the gold rush
Me ping wang I came from China to the Australian gold rush so I could have a chance of striking rich. Also so I could keep the gold because in China if you found gold you would have to give it to the rulers.
getting a Permit Without a permit you can’t mine for gold but you’ll be beaten up and throw into gaol. They catch you with frightening licence hunts so they can check if anyone is mining illegaly. That’s why I bought one.
Supplies for the goldfields You have to buy a tent for shelter for the horrible rain and storms but it won’t keep you warm. You also have buy blankets to protect you from getting ill and to give you warmth. I didn’t want to get ill so I got a tent and a blanket.
food Food on the goldfields can be really expensive. You can get flour so you can make damper. Damper is a simple type of bread which is made out of flour, water and baking power. Also flour can last for 10 days. Miners drink tea because mining makes you thirsty and sweaty. Water on the goldfields is dirty so you have to boil it to make it clean and safe to drink. It can last for 2 weeks. You can get mutton (which is sheep) but it is expensive, can go off in a few days and flies and heat can affect it. That’s why I didn’t buy it.
Types of mining There are two types of mining: shaft and alluvial mining. Alluvial mining is mining on the top of the ground like panning. It has cheaper tools than shaft mining. Shaft mining is mining is below the ground. I chose shaft because not many people would do it and its gold wouldn’t run out as quickly. Tools for shaft mining