when was the gold rush in australia

The gold rush in Australia began officially in February 1851 when Edward Hargraves claimed to find gold near Ophir, close to the city of Orange in New South Wales. The rush quickly spread, with significant gold discoveries following in Victoria's Clunes goldfield by July 1851 and other locations such as Ballarat, Castlemaine, and Bendigo later that year. This period marked the start of massive migration and economic transformation in Australia, lasting through the late 19th century with various gold rushes also occurring in Tasmania, Queensland, Northern Territory, and Western Australia in subsequent decades.