The gold rush in the 1800s was in eastern australia
People rushed to find gold. Hence, "Gold Rush."
goldsmithjeweler
John Marshall found the first nuggets of gold at Sutter's Mill where he worked. The gold was in the traces and he took the gold to Sutter who kept it a secret. Sutter knew that once the news was out...
The way they got gold was by using either pickaxes or a trough which could get the gold out of the river without picking it out one by one.