Gold rush Australia
smaller details which give insights into their lives.
There is no single index to miners in Australia so you need to know a rough date and place. Information can be found in archival documents, government publications, shipping records, electoral rolls, newspapers, photos, probate files, directories and almanacs. Some resources have been digitised and are available free online through Australian archives, libraries and subscription websites such as ancestry.co.uk and findmy past.co.uk.
State government archives may have original mining records, but not all have survived, especially for the early years and the smaller mining fields. There is a wide range of archival series that may be useful, but in the majority of instances these records are not indexed by name.
Rich resources
To discover what might be available for research, the first step is to check if the relevant state government archive has an online guide to mining records as this will give a useful summary of the more frequently used records and the time periods covered, any indexes or digitised records.
State Archives and Records New South Wales has an online guide to goldmining ( records. nsw.gov.au/archives/ collections-and- research/ guides-and- indexes/goldmining- guide), which is a good example. It begins with a historical overview, information on how to search, a list of published indexes, a list of select series from relevant government agencies, maps, extra resources and further reading. By following the steps outlined in the guide, researchers can start to search for their mining kin. Similar methods can be used in other Australian state archives.
Most indexes are not totally comprehensive and your ancestors could be mentioned in dozens of record series that are not indexed. Indexes, where they exist, are only a tool that might help researchers find their ancestors quicker and more easily. The original records should always be consulted for any additional information.
It may also be useful to try some keyword searching in the relevant state government archives online catalogue using place names and terms such as mine or mining. For example, a quick search on the terms Ballarat and gold in the Public Record Office Victoria’s online catalogue ( prov.vic.gov.au) returns over 460 results. There are references to gold buyer’s licenses, gold mining companies, probate files for gold diggers or miners, inquest files, land
records, court records and other record series.
Experiment with various keywords and advanced searches using the place name and the type of mine. It may also be useful to search on a person’s name but remember all name variants and also that not all record series have been indexed by name.
The State Library of Victoria has an online guide covering the history of Australian goldmining ( slv.vic.gov. au/searchdiscover/explore-collectionstheme/australian- history/ goldmining) which brings together a number of the library’s collections. The library’s virtual exhibition, Life on the Goldfields ( bit.ly/
goldmininglife), has sections