Questions and Projects

The gold history of this area is a reflection of a phenomenon that occurred throughout Australia. This event was built on the efforts of our forbears, the pioneers. And our most important historians are the descendants of those pioneers. This set of questions is designed to get the students to stand in the shoes of the diggers and their families. These questions may be answered by a mixture of research and imagination. Dont forget that parents can be a major source of information. 1. Your father built a settlers cottage for the family to live in. Write a short story about a day in your life. Remember to include your daily chores. 2. The gold prospectors often went into areas that were untouched by European settlement. In what way was the environment affected by their activities? 3. Mining was carried on extensively in the Mogo area. As a miner writing a letter to a friend in England, explain the work involved and the difficulties encountered in setting up a mine. 4. Men outnumbered women by six to one on the diggings. Explain why this was the situation and what difficulties would women with children face in the goldrush villages. 5. If you found yourself in a creek bed that no one had ever visited before, how would you go about finding some gold?

6. You live in a tent in the diggings. Please describe your evenings activities 7. Its 1865, the alluvial gold is starting to peter out and you have to make a choice about the future. What do you think is the best option and why? 8. You and a friend decide to buy a gold cradle. How would you use it and how would it speed up your gold recovery? 9. Explain the process of hard rock mining. 10. You arrive at the diggings for the first time and you have no money. You need to build shelter. Explain how you would go about this task.