Gold Washing. Fitz Roy Bar, Ophir Diggings, 1851, by George Angas

When gold was discovered in Australia in the 1850s, it brought gold-seekers from around the world to the colonies. The first big discoveries of gold were at Ophir in New South Wales, and then at Ballarat and Bendigo Creek in Victoria. The gold rushes led to a bigger population and economy, as well as new ideas about how Australia should be organised and governed.