Women on the Goldfields
In the early years of the gold rush there were very few women at any of the goldfields. Some of the women were diggers, and some were shopkeepers at the diggings. Most women stayed home with their children, usually with very little money to live on, while their husbands travelled to live and work at the diggings.
A few years later, many women took their children and joined their husbands when conditions improved. However, there were always more men than women at the goldfields, and it was a hard life for everyone.
Women's work consisted of washing, ironing and cooking. They made bread, butter, jams, soap and clothes for their family.The living conditions were cramped, and there were few comforts at the diggings. Because the alluvial mining made the creek water muddy, clean drinkable water was hard to find. Often fresh water was carted in to the diggings and sold by the bucketful. Fresh vegetables and fruit were scarce and costed a lot.
Usually when a woman gave birth to a baby, she was assisted by other women. There was little in the way of medical assistance in cases of illness or to assist the women in childbirth. Many women died while giving birth. Epidemics of illnesses such as diptheria, whooping cough, measles, typhoid and scarlet fever swept through the goldfields, and many men, women and children died.
The wealthy Bendigo goldfields were found by a woman, Margaret Kennedy, who saw gold in the creek bed in September 1851. She and a friend washed the gold using the process of panning. Within a few months, there were about 20,000 people searching for gold in that area.
A few years later, many women took their children and joined their husbands when conditions improved. However, there were always more men than women at the goldfields, and it was a hard life for everyone.
Women's work consisted of washing, ironing and cooking. They made bread, butter, jams, soap and clothes for their family.The living conditions were cramped, and there were few comforts at the diggings. Because the alluvial mining made the creek water muddy, clean drinkable water was hard to find. Often fresh water was carted in to the diggings and sold by the bucketful. Fresh vegetables and fruit were scarce and costed a lot.
Usually when a woman gave birth to a baby, she was assisted by other women. There was little in the way of medical assistance in cases of illness or to assist the women in childbirth. Many women died while giving birth. Epidemics of illnesses such as diptheria, whooping cough, measles, typhoid and scarlet fever swept through the goldfields, and many men, women and children died.
The wealthy Bendigo goldfields were found by a woman, Margaret Kennedy, who saw gold in the creek bed in September 1851. She and a friend washed the gold using the process of panning. Within a few months, there were about 20,000 people searching for gold in that area.
Activity Time
Collect a Venn Diagram template from your teacher. Fill in your Venn Diagram comparing the living conditions and lifestyles of women on the goldfields to women now. Include clothing, work (jobs), food and health.
A) Imagine you are a woman during the Gold Rush era. Write a diary entry explaining what a typical day for you is like and how you are feeling (at least one page).
B) Choose from a range of sources such as the internet, dictionaries or books to find out the meaning of the bolded words in the text above. Write the words in your History book followed by their meanings.
A) Imagine you are a woman during the Gold Rush era. Write a diary entry explaining what a typical day for you is like and how you are feeling (at least one page).
B) Choose from a range of sources such as the internet, dictionaries or books to find out the meaning of the bolded words in the text above. Write the words in your History book followed by their meanings.