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In essence, Hargraves started the gold rush. Edward Hargraves had carefully studied the geology of the Bathurst area and, convinced that it was similar to that of the California goldfields, from where he had just returned, went prospecting. He asked for assistance from John Lister, a man who had already found gold in the region. Lister led Hargraves directly to where gold was found, at Summerhill Creek, at a site which Hargraves named "Ophir". After reporting his discovery, he was appointed a 'Commissioner of Land', receiving a reward of £10,000 plus a life pension. The New South Wales government made the official announcement of the discovery of gold on 22 May 1851.

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14y ago
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9y ago

Payable gold was first "officially" discovered in Australia in February 1851, not far from Bathurst, New South Wales. The actual location was Summerhill Creek, at a specific point later named Ophir.

Edward Hargraves is credited with making the discovery that led to the beginning of the Australian gold rushes, although his success was largely due to the assistance of John Lister.

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12y ago

Although the details of all the people who found gold in colonial Australia are not known, there are some records of notable people finding gold.

  • Surveyor James McBrien reported finding gold near Bathurst, NSW in 1823.
  • Polish explorer Paul Strzelecki found gold near Hartley Vale in 1839.
  • Reverend WB Clark found gold near Lithgow in 1941.

All of these finds were kept secret in order to avoid unrest among the convicts.

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14y ago

Edward Hargraves carefully studied the geology of the area and, convinced that it was similar to that of the California goldfields, from where he had just returned, went prospecting. He gained the help of John Lister, a man who had already found gold in the region. Lister led Hargraves directly to where gold was found, at Summerhill Creek, at a site which Hargraves named "Ophir". The New South Wales government made the official announcement of the discovery of gold on 22 May 1851.

Incidentally, Lister was never given any credit or reward for his part in the discovery.

It is also worth noting that Hargraves did not find the first bit of gold in Australia. Gold was discovered in Australia as early as the 1820s and 30s, but discoveries were kept secret, for fear of sparking off unrest among the convicts. There is much conjecture about who was the first person to find gold in Australia. It would be fair to say that perhaps we will never actually know who was the first person to find gold. However, there are some records of notable people finding gold. Surveyor James McBrien reported finding gold near Bathurst, NSW in 1823. Polish explorer Paul Strzelecki found gold near Hartley Vale in 1839. All these discoveries were kept secret, for fear of sparking off unrest among the convicts. When Reverend WB Clark found gold near Lithgow in 1941, he was requested by Governor Gipps to keep quiet about it. However, as more people left the Australian colonies to join the gold rush in California, the government began to seek experts who could locate gold in Australian countrysides.

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12y ago

Edward Hargraves had been to the Californian goldfields, where he had gained some experience with gold prospecting, although not a lot of success. He noted similarities in the topology and geology of the countryside west of Sydney compared to that of the Californian goldfields. Logically speaking, he believed the Australian landscape should also contain gold.

Hargraves enlisted the assistance of John Lister, a man who had already found gold in the region. Lister led Hargraves directly to where gold was found, at Summerhill Creek, at a site which Hargraves named "Ophir". Hargraves instructed Lister and two brothers, James and William Tom, in panning and mining techniques he had learned in California, and their persistence paid handsome dividends with the discovery of substantial gold. By rights, Lister and William Tom should have the credit for the first official discovery of gold in Australia.

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12y ago

Edward Hargraves "officially" discovered gold near Bathurst in Australia in February 1851. He found the gold at Summerhill Creek, in a location he named Ophir.

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13y ago

he discovered gold

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Jdkeoei

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Q: Did edward hargraves discover a nugget of gold in Australia?
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What nugget did Edward Hargraves discover?

Edward Hargraves did not find a nugget of any notable size. Hargraves was important for the fact that he (or rather, two men he employed) found the first payable gold in Australia, and thus started the Australian Gold rush in 1851.


How big of an nugget did Edward Hargraves find?

Edward Hargraves did not find a nugget of any notable size. The claim to fame for Hargraves was the fact that he (or rather, two men he employed) found the first payable gold in Australia, and thus started the Australian Gold rush in 1851.


How much did the nugget found by edward hargraves in1951 weigh?

1 pound


Did Edward Hargraves find the Holtermann nugget?

No. The Beyers and Holtermann nugget, aka the Holtermann nugget, was found by workers at the Star of Hope Gold Mining Co on Hawkins Hill, in October 1872. Hargraves was not one of these workers.


How was Edward Hargraves able to discover gold in NSW in 1851?

Traces of gold had been found all around the colonies and he stumbled on a nugget while searching near Orange.


What was the name of the gold nugget discovered by Hargraves in Australia?

Hargraves did not actually find any gold nuggets himself. His offsider John Lister, was the one who actually found the gold, and it was not in the form of a large nugget. The gold was payable, but it was in smaller nuggets that were not named.


When was pride of Australia gold nugget found?

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What state found the worlds largest silver nugget?

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What are some gold nuggets found in Australia?

"Welcome Stranger" nugget found in 1869"Golden Eagle" nugget found in 1931"Hand of Faith" Nugget found in 1980


What actors and actresses appeared in The First Nugget - 1914?

The cast of The First Nugget - 1914 includes: Edward Roseman as The Indian Julia Stuart as The Squaw


Where was a 25 pound gold nugget found?

i think it was somewhere in Australia.


Who was known as Nugget?

The cricketer nicknamed Nugget was Australia's Keith Miller, who represented his country in 55 Test matches between 1946 and 1956.