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GOLD has been the most sought after
metal since man became aware of the mineral wealth to be found in the
earth. Its brilliant appearance made it highly valued by the earliest
civilisations —Egyptian,
Minoan, Assyrian, and Etruscan.
Despite the fact that gold has
been extracted from the earth since earliest historical times,
the last hundred years have seen
more gold produced than ‘did
all the preceding centuries. The increase in its value as a
standard of exchange, the discovery of
rich new fields, the adoption of
improved methods of production, and the intensified search for
gold are the main factors
accounting for the tremendous gold output of the last century —
nearly four thousand million
pounds’ worth.
The romance of gold forms one of the most
interesting chapters in the history of the world. The lure of gold has
led men to suffer all sorts of hardships, to give up homes, to cross
deserts, to brave Arctic blizzards, and to die on the Yukon Trail or the
Rand. As a pioneer, the gold prospector has been outstanding, and in
many countries, from the tropics to the Arctic Circle, his
exploration work has been followed
by the founding of towns
and the rapid development of territory where gold has been
discovered.
The historic event which proved to be the first
link in the chain which brought
the miner to
New
Zealand was the
discovery of gold in California in June 1848. Within three years
discoveries of gold in New South Wales and
Victoria had brought thousands of
miners to
New Zealand’s sister,
colonies in
the South Pacific. Former Californian and
Australian miners were to be responsible for
the sensational discoveries which
led to such violent outbreaks of the gold fever in this
country.
Gold Panning in California.
Washing with a cradle.
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The Yukon Trail
Australian prospectors panning for gold.
In such rugged country as this did the
more adventurous diggers travel.
A sketch map of New Zealand.
The shaded portions indicate the approximate limits of gold bearing
country.
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