The gold rush in Australia primarily took place starting in 1851 in several key locations:
- The very first gold rush began near Orange, New South Wales, at a site called Ophir after Edward Hargraves discovered payable gold there in February 1851. This discovery quickly sparked the New South Wales gold rush.
- Almost simultaneously, in July 1851, the gold rush spread to Victoria with the discovery of gold at Clunes. Shortly after, rich goldfields were found at Ballarat, Bendigo, and Castlemaine, which led to Victoria becoming one of the richest gold-producing areas in the world during the 1850s.
- Other notable gold rushes occurred later in Western Australia, Queensland, and other parts of Australia, but the main and earliest rushes were concentrated in New South Wales and Victoria.
Thus, the major locations for the Australian gold rush were Ophir near Orange and then Ballarat, Bendigo, and Castlemaine in Victoria.
If more details on any specific rush or region are needed, that can be further explored.
