What was the effect of the discovery of gold in Victoria?
A. In the early days, men left the cities in droves and rushed towards the diggings. On 21 September, 1851 the Melbourne Argus reported, The whole town of Geelong is in hysterics, gentlemen foaming at the mouth, ladies fainting, children throwing somersets (somersaults) with excitement. All the ruffians and rogues from Melbourne and the “scum of convicts from Van Diemans Land” (later Tasmania) moved in a surge towards Ballarat. (Source: quoted in Valmai Phillips, Gold Bay Books, Kensington NSW, 1984, p.
