Chinese Immigration to Australia During the Gold Rush

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Chinese Immigration to Australia During the Gold Rush

Following the success of the American Gold rush, the Australian Gold rush attracted many migrants from all over the globe. The Chinese prospectors were perhaps the most controversial and the most interesting nationality to come to the goldfields

Assistance given on arrival

There was more or less no assistance of any kind given to the Chinese migrants, as immigration was rather a haphazard affair in the 19th century (especially to an isolated young country like Australia) and the level of racism encountered by Chinese prospectors on arrival made goldmining and making a living in Australia even harder.

As a people, the Chinese possessed a great sense of entrepreneurialism and were hard workers, and the immigrants that did succeed did so off their own bat, opening up ventures involving growing and distribution of food, clothes washing, and all sorts of trading in order to make money.

Reasons for Immigration

The Chinese, along with many others from all around the world, had heard that Australia had struck gold...

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