What was life like for them during the gold rushes in New Zealand?

There were gold rushes on the West Coast from 1865. Miners had to cut their way through bush to reach the goldfields, and as in other places in New Zealand, the work was tough and a miner’s life was hard. There were almost no women.

What did miners wear in the Australian gold rush?

State Library of Victoria. Public Domain. While the quintessential image of the gold digger was a man dressed in a red or blue flannel shirt, moleskins, boots and wide-brimmed hat, women and children were very much present on the goldfields, living and working alongside their menfolk.

Did anyone get rich from the gold rush?

However, only a minority of miners made much money from the Californian Gold Rush. It was much more common for people to become wealthy by providing the miners with over-priced food, supplies and services. Josiah Belden was another man who made his fortune from the gold rush. He owned a store in San Jose.

Where was most gold found in NZ?

The principal New Zealand goldfields were Coromandel, Nelson/Marlborough, Central Otago and West Coast. The two main types of gold mine were: ‘hard rock’ quartz mines, and. alluvial mining which included panning and cradling, sluicing and dredging.

Is there still gold in New Zealand?

New Zealand has three main goldfields and each has its own geology. In Otago (and Marlborough) gold is found in quartz veins in schist and in river gravels which have weathered from schist. Although gold has never been mined there, it occurs in the Taupō Volcanic Zone in geothermal deposits.

How did they mine in the 1800s?

In the beginning, miners used primitive tools for digging. Mining shafts were dug out by hand or using stone tools, making the entire process very lengthy. Eventually, the pick and hammer were replaced with fire to clear tunnels and reach greater depths at a faster rate.

What was mined in the 1800s?

At the start of the 19th century, coal mining was almost all bituminous coal. In 1810, 176,000 short tons of bituminous coal, and 2,000 tons of anthracite coal, were mined in the United States. American coal mining grew rapidly in the early 1820s, doubling or tripling every decade.

What did the Chinese wear during the gold rush?

What did Chinese people wear in the Gold Rush? They wore huge hats, blue padded jackets, wide pants and white socks. They each carried a long bamboo pole over their shoulder with heavy baskets bouncing on either end.