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ST Gill
born England 1818, died Australia 1880
A rush c. 1865
pencil on paper
16.5 x 25.2 cm (sheet)
The University of Melbourne Art Collection
Gift of the Russell and Mab Grimwade Bequest 1973
1973.0243
"Here, indeed, was an extraordinary sight.
A piece of ground about two or three acres in extent sloping down
gently towards a moderate sized creek, was perfectly honeycombed
with holes; some just beginning to be dug, but in most of them
the diggers were deep down below getting out the auriferous soil
… The whole field of operations reminded one of a huge ant
hill, just disturbed, with the distressed insects hurrying about
hither and thither to set things in order once more."
Cited Mackaness, G (ed.), ‘The Australian journal
of William Strutt, ARA, 1850–1862’, in Australian
Historical Monographs, part 1, vol. 41, 1958, p. 26–7.
"The rattle of the cradle as it swayed to and
fro, the sounds of the pick and shovel, the busy hum of so many
thousands, the innumerable tents, the stores with large flags
hoisted above them, flags of every shape, colour and nation, from
the lion and the unicorn of England to the Russian eagle, the
strange yet picturesque costume of the diggers themselves, all
contributed to render the scene novel in the extreme."
Mrs Charles Clacy, A Lady’s Visit to the
Gold Diggings of Australia, 1852–53, London, 1853, p.
53.
Cited Stone, D and Mackinnon, S, Life on the Australian
Goldfields, Melbourne, 1976, p. 119.
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