Lexi Webster
Edward Hargraves is known as the 'gold discoverer of Australia'. On 12 February 1851, Hargraves, along with his guide John Lister and William and James Tom, found five specks of gold in Lewis Ponds Creek in New South Wales, which they named Ophir. This discovery sparked Australia's first gold rush, with thousands of gold seekers leaving cities to join the rush. Hargraves was awarded a £10,000 prize, which he refused to share with his companions, and his story was later disputed.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name of the person who found gold in Australia | Edward Hammond Hargraves |
| Year of the discovery | 1851 |
| Date of the discovery | 12 February |
| Place of discovery | Lewis Ponds Creek in New South Wales, later named Ophir |
| Number of gold specks found | Five |
| Names of the people who accompanied Hargraves | John Lister, William Tom, and James Tom |
| Name of the book written by Hargraves | Australia and its Goldfields |
| Year the book was published | 1855 |
| Name of the portrait of Hargraves | The Australian Gold Discoverer |
| Artist behind the portrait | Thomas Tyrwhitt Balcombe |
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What You'll Learn
Edward Hargraves found gold in Australia in February 1851
Hargraves was born in England but settled in Australia as a young man, working various jobs. In 1849, he was lured by the Californian gold rush but failed to find his fortune. Returning to Australia, he set his sights on finding gold in New South Wales. He enlisted the help of John Lister and the Tom brothers, William and James, and within weeks they had discovered gold. The exact location of this first discovery is disputed, with sources citing Lewis Ponds Creek, Summer Hill Creek, and Ophir—a site named by Hargraves after a wealthy port city in the Old Testament.
On 12 February 1851, Hargraves and his team found five specks of gold in a creek in New South Wales. Hargraves wrote to the colonial secretary of New South Wales, Sir Edward Deas Thomson, announcing his discovery and claiming to be the first to find gold in the colony. This claim was disputed, as there had been previous gold finds in the colony, but Hargraves was persistent and sought official recognition and a government reward.
Hargraves' discovery sparked the first gold rush in Australia, which began in May 1851. News of the find spread, and thousands of people left Sydney and Melbourne to join the rush, seeking their fortune. The influx of hopeful prospectors, known as "'diggers', transformed the convict colonies into more progressive cities. The gold rush contributed to a burgeoning economy and the emergence of a unique national identity.
Despite his disputed claim to be the first discoverer of gold in Australia, Hargraves became known as the 'Gold Discoverer of Australia' and was celebrated in portraits and paintings, often depicted as a conquering hero returning to the scene of his triumph.
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The site was named Ophir, near Orange, New South Wales
Edward Hammond Hargraves, along with his guide John Lister and brothers William and James Tom, discovered five specks of gold in Lewis Ponds Creek in New South Wales on February 12, 1851. They named the site Ophir, a name derived from a region in the Old Testament noted for its fine gold. Ophir is situated near the Macquarie River, northeast of the city of Orange in New South Wales.
The discovery of gold at Ophir sparked the first Australian gold rush. Thousands of gold seekers left Sydney and Melbourne to join the rush, and by May 15, 1851, 300 diggers had arrived in Ophir. The site, now known as the Ophir Reserve, is a reminder of Australia's colonial past. It features remnants of old alluvial, reef, and deep lead mines, as well as the town's cemetery. Visitors can try their luck at gold panning in Summer Hill Creek, just as the early settlers did during the gold rush of the 1850s.
While Hargraves was honoured and rewarded for his discovery, it is disputed whether he was actually the first to discover gold in the area. Some sources suggest that mineralogist William Tipple Smith found gold at the same spot in 1848, three years before Hargraves. Reverend William Branwhite Clarke also found particles of gold near Hartley in the Blue Mountains in 1841, though this discovery was kept secret due to fears of mutiny among the convicts and ex-convicts in New South Wales.
Despite the disputes, Hargraves became known as the "gold discoverer of Australia" and was rewarded by the New South Wales government. He was granted £10,500 (worth $1,125,434 in 2004 values) and an annuity of £250 a year starting in 1877. He also received £2,381 from the Victorian government and was asked to prospect in Western Australia in 1862. Hargraves capitalized on his fame by publishing a book, "Australia and Its Goldfields," in 1855, though it is believed to have been ghostwritten.
The site of Hargraves' discovery, Ophir, remains a popular destination for those interested in Australia's gold rush history. Visitors can explore the old diggings, try their hand at gold panning, and learn about the area's past at the Orange Visitor Information Centre.
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Hargraves was awarded £10,000, but refused to share it
Edward Hammond Hargraves, born in 1816 or 1817 in Gosport, England, went to sea at the age of 14 and settled in Australia. He worked in various jobs, including as a farmer, storekeeper, publican, sailor, and agent for the General Steam Navigation Company. In 1849, he left for California to join the gold rush there, but he was unsuccessful. He returned to Australia in 1851, intending to discover gold or claim the government's reward for discovering a payable goldfield.
On February 12, 1851, Hargraves, along with his guide John Lister and the Tom brothers (William, James, and Henry), discovered five specks of gold in Lewis Ponds Creek in New South Wales, which they named Ophir. Hargraves returned to Sydney in March 1851 and presented his samples to the government, claiming the £10,000 reward. He also received a £5,000 award from Victoria. However, he refused to share the money with his companions, Lister and the Tom brothers, who had made the discovery possible and taught them gold-panning techniques.
The legend of Hargraves as the "gold discoverer of Australia" persists, and he was even the subject of triumphant portraits, including a notable one by Thomas Tyrwhitt Balcombe. However, the claim was disputed, and it was later recognized that Lister and the Tom brothers were the first to discover payable gold in Australia. Hargraves exaggerated and falsified his role, and his refusal to acknowledge the assistance he received caused bitterness among his companions.
Despite his windfall, Hargraves was virtually penniless by the early 1860s. He conducted a hateful campaign against members of parliament when Victoria failed to provide the balance of the £5,000 they had promised. In 1877, he was granted a pension of £250 per year by the Government of New South Wales, which he received until his death in 1891.
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The gold rush began in May 1851
The Australian gold rush, which began in May 1851, was sparked by Edward Hammond Hargraves' discovery of gold in New South Wales. Hargraves, along with his guide John Lister and the Tom brothers, found five specks of gold in Lewis Ponds Creek, New South Wales, on 12 February 1851. They named the site Ophir, after a wealthy port city mentioned in the Old Testament.
Hargraves, who was born in England but settled in Australia, had been drawn to the Californian gold rush in 1849. He returned to Australia and began his quest for gold in the Bathurst region, enlisting the help of Lister and the Toms. Within weeks, they had discovered gold, and Hargraves returned to Sydney in March 1851 to present his findings to the government.
News of the discovery was published in the Sydney Morning Herald, and by 15 May 1851, 300 diggers had arrived in Ophir, marking the beginning of the gold rush. The Victorian government offered a reward of £200 to anyone finding gold within 200 miles of Melbourne, and soon, gold was discovered in Clunes, Ballarat, Castlemaine, and Bendigo.
The gold rush transformed the Australian colonies, bringing in gold-seekers from around the world and leading to a significant increase in the country's population and economy. It also contributed to the emergence of a unique national identity, with the influx of migrants bringing new ideas and skills. The mateship among the diggers and their collective resistance to authority further shaped Australia's national identity.
The gold rush also had social and political implications. It led to world-leading social experiments, such as the secret ballot, the eight-hour workday, and the formation of the Australian Labor Party. The traditional authority of the colonial establishment was challenged by the progressive thinking of the new arrivals, resulting in tensions that culminated in the Eureka Stockade.
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Ophir was flooded with 300 diggers by 15 May 1851
Edward Hammond Hargraves was an Australian gold prospector who found gold in Australia in 1851. He was born in 1816 in England but settled in Australia, where he worked various jobs. In 1849, he went to the US to participate in the California gold rush. He returned to Australia in 1851 with knowledge of prospecting techniques and hopeful of discovering gold closer to home.
On 12 February 1851, Hargraves, along with his guide John Lister and brothers William and James Tom, found five specks of gold in Lewis Ponds Creek in New South Wales. They named the site Ophir, after a port city of great wealth mentioned in the Old Testament. This discovery sparked a huge industry of 'diggers'.
News of the find was published in the Sydney Morning Herald and by 15 May 1851, 300 diggers had arrived in Ophir. The gold rush was on. The gold rush in New South Wales and Victoria transformed the other Australian colonies. It greatly expanded Australia's population, boosted its economy, and led to the emergence of a new national identity.
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Frequently asked questions
Edward Hargraves found gold near Orange, New South Wales, in a place he named Ophir.
Edward Hargraves found gold in February 1851.
Edward Hargraves was a prospector who had previously gone to California in search of gold. He learned new prospecting techniques there, which he then used in Australia.
News of the gold find was published in the Sydney Morning Herald, and by 15 May 1851, 300 diggers had arrived in Ophir. The first gold rush in Australia had begun.
