When did the Australian gold rush start?
The gold rush in Australia started in 1851. It began tentatively with the first strike of payable gold near Ophir in NSW, then began in earnest several months later when gold was found in August in Ballarat, Victoria. While the Ballarat goldfields were rich and promising, the real goldrush began when gold was discovered at Mt Alexander, 60km northeast of Ballarat, and close to the town of Bendigo, shortly afterwards.
