Gleaning the Past: Enduring legacies of Victoria’s goldrushes

On the cusp of the 175^th anniversary of the discovery of gold in Victoria, Professor Keir Reeves will reexamine the long run implications of the early Victorian goldrushes.

Perhaps the key legacy of the Victorian goldrushes was their ability to enrich and transform society. This includes the establishment of instant goldfields cities, towns and villages that emerged with their associated multicultural societies, technical innovation and economic transformation.

Yet, reflecting on this period also means grappling with the many challenging consequences of colonisation, including the legacies of frontier conflict, and the long-term environmental impacts that give the goldfields landscapes such a distinctive appearance. In this talk, Keir reevaluates some of these long-term impacts of gold on the development of nineteenth-century Victoria.

Professor Keir Reeves is a co-director of the Future Regions Research Centre at Federation University Australia where he is also a chair in history and heritage. His current research works at the intersections of heritage, cultural tourism, regional studies and history. Keir’s publications include ‘Deeper Leads New Approaches to Victorian Goldfields History’ (2008). He also contributed to the Bruce Scates-led ‘Anzac Journeys: Walking the battlefields of the Second World War’ (2013), that was shortlisted for the 2014 Australian Historical Association Ernest Scott Prize. Keir has completed research extensively internationally, both as a fellow and visiting professor, at universities including University of Cambridge, King’s College London and Utrecht University.

Attend Talking History in person at the Eureka Centre (no booking required).

Past lectures can be viewed on YouTube by clicking this link.

Image: Richard Daintree (1832-1878), ‘Black Hill, Ballarat – gold mining’, c. 1861 [detail], photograph. State Library of Victoria, H36581.