Goldfields

Women of the Diggings: Ballarat 1854 By Dorothy Wickham The first detailed account of the lives and roles of women on the Victorian Goldfields. Remarkable and amazing stories of untold courage. This book is a fascinating and moving story of the early Ballarat gold rush told from a woman's perspective. This well researched book is written in a lively and entertaining style. The experiences outlined would have been similar for women on other Victorian goldfields such as Bendigo, Castlemaine, Creswick, Maryborough, Stawell, Dunolly, and Walhalla. 336pp, comprehensive index, $55.00. Women of the Diggings is presented in two parts. The first part comprises 10 chapters of detailed accounts of women on the Victorian goldfields. These chapters include: the pastoral (pre gold) era; the early goldfields; marriage; birthing on the goldfields; death, dying and disease; politics, and the women of Eureka. Part 2 lists around 1,500 biographies of women who were associated with Ballarat in 1854. Some are well known, such as Martha Clendinning, Matilda Dixie, Matilda Lang, Anne Duke, and Anastasia Withers. Others like Melinda Smith, Mary O'Dea, Margaret Kinnane and Susannah Morgan are little known. As they went about their everyday life they have been recorded in this publication. They have been uncovered in difficult to access records such as church registers, inquest records and petty sessions registers. This book uncovers the intimate 'secrets' of women's lives during the turbulent goldfields era. To purchase email details or use the order form in the bookstore section of this website. Email ballaratheritage