Show Gold Mines of Australia Are Important Resources Re No other single factor has played so important a part in the indus indus- trial rial t of Australia as her gold mines Gold drew immigrants to the country led to a more ex ex- extensive extensive exploration established a home market and led to tion ion t Gold was officially reported as early as 1823 yet the gold fever struck the the country only in 1851 New South Wales was the scene of the first activity but within a year there was a rush to the Ballarat district of Victoria and seven years later to the Canoona district of Queensland Western Australia was thought to be destitute of the precious metal and it was not until the nineties that the rush to the Cool- Cool Coolgardie Coolgardie Coolgardie gardie districts miles east of Perth set in Mining of any con con- consequence consequence consequence sequence in Tasmania began in 1870 South Australia alone has failed to contribute largely to the supply of gold Victoria has over two-thirds two of the total product while New South Wales and Queensland follow with 12 per cent each Vic Vic- Victoria Victoria toria had led constantly co until 1897 when she was outstripped by west west- western western western ern Australia which has led since The rich alluvial deposits that first attracted the attention of miners are largely exhausted but there are I still considerable areas of surface gravels which repay working with modern methods An increasing proportion of the output each year however comes from quartz veins |