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The Australian gold rushes started in 1851 when prospector Edward Hargraves proclaimed his discovery of Gold near Bathurst , New South Wales , at a site Hargraves called Ophir . Six months later, gold was found in Victoria at Ballarat , and a short time later at Bendigo Creek . Gold was later found in all of the other Australian Colonies (later known as states or territories). With the goldrushes came a huge influx of Immigrant s, the continent's population increasing threefold from 430,000 in 1851 to 1.7 million in 1871 . With the gold rushes came the construction of the first Railway s and Telegraph Line , the Eureka Rebellion and the end of Penal Transportation to the east coast of Australia. DISCOVERIES OF GOLD BEFORE THE RUSHES Prior to Hargrave's discovery, plenty of gold had been discovered in Australia by others including Reverend WB Clarke in 1841 with further finds in 1844 . When Clarke reported his discovery to the New South Wales Governor George Gipps , Gipps asked Clarke to: ''"Put them away, Mr Clarke, or we shall all have our throats cut!"''. Gold finds in a convict society were not welcomed at the time. Although the NSW and Victorian governments later rewarded Clarke for his contribution, his financial rewards didn't compare to those for Hargraves. Other early gold finds in the colony were:
FIRST LICENSE The first license was issued in Victoria on September 21, 1851. The number of gold licenses issued in N.S.W. was 12,186, of which 2,094 were issued at the Ophir; 8,637 at the Turon; 1,009 at the Meroo and Louisa Creek; 41 at the Abercrombie; and 405 at Araluen, up to October 31, 1851.Heaton, J.H. 1984, The Bedside Book of Colonial Doings, Angus and Robertson, Sydney, published in 1879 as Australian Dictionary of Dates containing the History of Australasia from 1542 to May, 1879, p.114 SEE ALSO
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