Historian to speak on goldfields adversities

AN upcoming talk will discuss the misery that many Bendigo miners and their families experienced during the goldrush.

Presented by Dr Jennifer Jones, Associate Professor Interdisciplinary Studies within La Trobe University’s History Program, the talk will be based on her research into one particular Scottish family, the Browns.

Dr Jones discovered their history of misfortune through family letters held by the National Library of Scotland and material artefacts in La Trobe University’s Sandhurst Collection.

She said the Browns experienced significant hardship, both in terms of not discovering the wealth of gold that they were hoping for and the collapse of their mining company.

“It’s quite a touching story, particularly the focus on women and children and also how people managed,” she said.

“When something went wrong, you needed to have people around you or structures that you put in place to make sure that you and your family were ok.”

She said the topic will be of interest to most people because everyone can associate with the challenges of health concerns, unexpected bereavements and trying to move on with your life in a way that supports your family and community.

“That’s one of the great benefits of history in that we can identify our own experience, but also see how it was different.”

Discovering History: Providence and Misfortune in the Land of Gold takes place on Thursday 7 November at Bendigo Library from 5.30 to 6.30pm.

Entry is free, but please register your attendance through the Eventbrite website.