Letters from the goldfields by Ishan and lucifer

Ballarat Goldfields

Ballarat  P.O.

30th July 1854

Dearest Father

I have arrived at the Ballarat Goldfields safe and sound. I wish I could come home but I don't have any money. I travelled on a long journey to get to the goldfields. It is so far from England. I am in the

Ballarat goldfields which are in Victoria, Australia. I was so far away from the goldfields when I arrived in Melbourne. By the time I arrived I was worn out.

 

You are very lucky to be back in England. Over here we eat mainly damper (a type of bread) and mutton and there is a short supply of clean water. I don't remember the last time I ate any meat. This is because meat is highly unaffordable. Whenever I am thinking about meat I think about you making one of your delicious lamb meals.

 

I have to carry all my possessions whereever I go because people can't be trusted. Because of the robbery on the goldfields people travel by horse, bullock or by walking with a wheelbarrow full of possessions.

 

 

While you are warm and cozy by the fire I am in a tent that doesn't give any heat. I miss sitting by the fire with you.

 

I don't think I am going to find much gold because of the amount of people over here. I haven't found much gold I have been working from dawn to dusk.

 

I don't have much money because I had to spend most of it on a miner's right. A miner's right is a licence that permits you to dig for gold. I think that miners shouldn't have to pay for a

miner's right.

 

I miss you father. I hope to find some gold so that I can return home.

 

Your loving son,

Ishan

   

 

 Ophir Goldfields

Ophir Post Office

                                                                                      30^th July 1852

 

 

Dear Mother

 

I arrived safely at the Ophir Goldfields. Life here is very cramped and I am soaking wet and shivering to the bone from the cold. At the moment I have only found one ounce of gold and I am wondering how long it will be before the bushrangers steal it. Bushrangers are thieves who live in the bush and ambush people on their way to town and steal their possessions.

 

I manly eat damper and mutton. Damper is a type of bread made by mixing flour and water and cooking it over the fire. I am sick of tea. It is all I can drink because the water is full of diseases and must be boiled over the fire before I can drink it.

 

The troopers are everywhere you look. We have to have to have a miner’s right to dig for gold which cost 30 shillings. That is so stupid because we don’t have any money and can’t dig for gold. Luckily I have a miner’s licence.

 

I miss you and the comforts of home and I want to be back before I catch any diseases like typliod.

 Your loving son,

Lucifer   

      

Bathurst Goldfields

Bathurst P.O

19 July 1853

 

Dear mother and father,

I am writing to you from Bathurst goldfields. I have arrived safely and haven't found any gold yet. Life here is hard and I miss you very much.

 I only eat damper which is bread because it is the only thing I can afford. The meat is far too expensive. I wish I could be at home with you, I miss your cooking so much especially dad's lamb roast. I drool just thinking about it. Before I started mining for gold I had to buy a miners right which was thirty shillings.

 

The trip here was dangerous because bush rangers would rob miners but luckily I wasn't one of them. At the moment I'm living in a tent, tomorrow I am going to make a little hut out of bark and wood. It is very cold and nearly every day it rains. I heard rumours that people are getting very sick and dying from dysentery and typhoid, also that the meat is stolen off farmers.

 

There is a lot of fighting over claims which is when someone takes over someone else's space they are mining. When I first came here there were no shops but a couple of days ago they built a general store. The men here are jealous of the Chinese men because they work nonstop and never give up, whereas when we can't find gold we give up.

 

I have to be careful that I always have my miners right with me because if I don't have it and the troopers come and ask me for my miners right I will be sent to jail. I can't trust any not even the people I know from the neighbourhood because if I find gold they will take my spot, or even steal my gold. On Sunday no one mines on the field for there is a rule saying you can't. Today they are building a theatre for passing performers to entertain us. I can't believe a week as gone past already I guess time flies when your searching for gold.

 I miss you lots and hopefully I will find my fortune and come home to London as soon as possible.

 

From your darling son,

John

                                                           Ballarat Goldfields

                                                      Ballarat P.O

                                                       30th July 1852

 

Dear Mother,

 

I arrived safely here in Ballarat. Life up here is very hard there is a lot of violence and everything is expensive

 

I had to buy a miner's licence which cost 30 shillings and I've only found a small amount of gold. We have to buy a miner's license which I think is unfair  because it gives permission to find gold.

 

I eat damper, damper which is  a simple bread made from flour, salt and water and cooked over an open campfire. I only eat damper because everything else is too expensive.

 

People travel by horse or bullock, or just walk. Everyone takes the gold with them because there is lots of stealing here in the goldfields and you can't trust anyone.

 

I really wish I could go back home and have those delicious dinners you made for me. I really miss you.

 

 

Your loving daughter,

 Melissa