The Golden South
The Golden South tells the story of the Araluen, Bell’s Creek and Major’s Creek goldfields in southern New South Wales. Between 1858 and 1875 Araluen was one of the leading goldfields in New South Wales, and from 1900 to 1920 it was the state’s largest gold dredging centre, with a production record and longevity surpassed by few other alluvial gold fields in Australia. Major’s Creek was one of the major gold mining centre in New South Wales in the early 1850s gold rushes. In a similar fashion to Bungonia to Braidwood the book provides a unique perspective on Australian mining history, focusing on mining typologies, technologies and the role of the Chinese miners.
Notwithstanding the importance of these goldfields, they have, with a few notable exceptions, almost entirely escaped the notice of historians. Almost all the gullies and creeks on the three fields, including the whole length of Araluen Creek, Major’s Creek and Bell’s creek, and a large part of the Deua River, were mined. The Golden South captures this ebb and flow of activity and the rise and fall of the mining communities.
The Golden South was the fourth in a series of books by the author on mining communities in southern New South Wales. Of these books only two are now in print, The Golden South and Bungonia to Braidwood. The Golden South was based on an environmental and heritage study of the Araluen Catchment area and sponsored by the Upper Deua Landcare Group. Publication was and funded by the Lower South Coast Catchment Management Committee. Publication of the book was assisted by the Royal Australian Historical Society.
176 pages, 6 maps, 85 black and white photographs, limp cover
