What was life on the goldfields like?
Most diggers worked from dawn to dusk, six days a week. Sometimes they were lucky and had a good strike. Often they found very little at all. They probably made as much as the workers left in town, perhaps a little more or a little less. But they worked very hard indeed for what they discovered.
Most of the people on the goldfields were men. A lot of them were bachelors but many did not think the rough and ready diggings were a good place for women to live. But, from the beginning, there were women who went to the goldfields with their husbands, brothers or friends.
Most of the people on the goldfields were men. A lot of them were bachelors but many did not think the rough and ready diggings were a good place for women to live. But, from the beginning, there were women who went to the goldfields with their husbands, brothers or friends.
The diggers worked hard but there was time, at the end of the day and on Sundays for relaxation. At the Ballarat goldfields, a makeshift boxing saloon was created to accommodate weekly boxing matches. Grog tents, like a bar in a tent, was set up for drinking. At first hotels were not allowed on the diggings, but sly grog tents or shanties were disguised as coffee shops. They were often run by women and were especially popular on Saturday nights.