Money Pits. British mining companies in the Californian and Australian gold rushes of the 1850s

Notes:

Based in part on the author's doctoral thesis on Australian gold rush - 'Company Mining in the Australian Gold Rush. What should have been a great mercantile adventure', La Trobe University, 2014 - and on additional research on the Californian gold rush. Deals with the corporate entities formed in London to prospect for gold or to support prospecting - eg to trade in refined gold; to establish connected banks or mints; to arrange passage to goldfields; etc. A little researched subject. All but one company failed - Port Phillip & Colonial Gold Mining Co Ltd, Victoria, Australia. Chapters include: overview of the companies; forming the companies; government policies and mining laws; operations in Australia; operations in California; shareholder activists; 'The only success story'; 'The last hurrah'. Appendices provide 1] schedules of companies involved and 2] capital raised by them - ie per company. Also chronology of companies providing date of commencement, dates active, fate