In the early days of the colony NSW was a struggling settlement and agriculture formed the basis of the economy. As the colony expanded, the sheep and wool industry played an important role in the developing economy.
But in the 1850s the gold rush in NSW and Victoria provided the wealth and confidence about the future which stimulated enormous growth1. This growth spread to Queensland, Northern Territory and Western Australia as gold was discovered.
Try playing through this interactive2 Scootle resource about gold mining in Ballarat.
Links
- http://www.sl.nsw.gov.au/stories/eureka-rush-gold/gold-boom
- http://www.scootle.edu.au/ec/viewing/L702/L702/index.html#
- https://time.graphics/
- https://www.scribblemaps.com/
- http://www.sbs.com.au/gold/story.php?storyid=74
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Primary_sector_of_the_economy
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secondary_Industry