History Of Mining In Australia
The aborigines who arrived in Australia nearly forty thousand years ago started mining activity in the continent. However, it was not for gold or oil, but they did for suitable material for weapons. They used the ochre for decorative purposes. These mines were not very deep and usually a small scale mine was dug. The actual mining started in 1788 when the European settlers arrived. They started mining for the sandstone to build the Sydney Cove. |
In 1791, they discovered coal in Newcastle area. Throughout Australia to the North and South of Sydney coal was found in several other places. Soon enough in 1798 the Europeans started the coal trade. Coal was shipped to India another colony at that time.
In the early 19th century, gold and other metals were found in the region. However, it was not the English who found it and as there were laws against mining they did not make any effort further. The English had a rule that all gold and silver that was mined belonged to the crown. Also, Britain did not allow anyone to look for minerals in the area. Lead was the first metal to be mined here and then it was copper mining. After the Gold Rush in California the madness started in Australia too.
In 1851, the British came up with the concept of payable gold and the crown paid whoever found gold. Actually gold was one of the last metals that was mined in Australia during the British regime. Most of Australia is still unexplored even today.
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