For thousands of years before Europeans settled in Australia the Australian Aboriginal peoples lived in harmony with the land. The effects of digging for gold during the early years of the gold rush were devastating for the natural environment and no laws were in place to protect it.
Read William Howitt's prediction of the devastation mining will bring to the environment.
1. Examine how early mining techniques impacted on the environment. Your teacher will have a short quiz for you to try about the environmental impacts of mining techniques.
2. Read ‘Environmental devastation on the diggings’.
3. Analyse Howitt's use of language and complete the ranking activity, then share the completed file with your teacher.
Today the exploration and extraction of gold is more efficient and uses scientific methods. Read about mining today and take a virtual tour of an open-cut mine.
1. Compare the extraction of gold using the open-cut method with underground mining, and categorise the facts in a quiz that your teacher will give you a link to.
In recent years the concern over the environmental impact of mining has led to new government legislation for mining and mineral exploration. When the price of gold goes up a lot, old gold mines become profitable again.
2. Read through the case studies to see how the Minerals Council of Australia is promoting these land and water management. Discuss with your classmates what protections should be in place for parks, private property and landowners.
3. What is the real price of gold? Examine the concerns of environmentalists, Aboriginal groups and local businesses at the Lake Cowal gold mine in NSW.
Become an active citizen and develop a plan of action for a campaign to support a particular point of view by one of the interested parties.