Explain Why I Came To Australia In The Gold Rush
“I came to Australia in the Gold Rush”
Ever wondered what life was like for Chinese people in the Gold Rush? Read Jiang’s story to find out!
My name is Jiang. I am now eighty-two years old, but I came to Australia when I was only 19.
The reason I came to Australia was to take part in the Gold Rush, so I could look after my family. The Gold Rush started in 1851, but the news about it did not reach China until 1853. I wanted to come here the moment I found out about it, but my financial conditions at the time did not permit me to do so.
I lived in a small house with my mother and two younger brothers. My mother ran a business, in which she cooked noodles for people. She was a good cook, and people really liked the noodles she made, but we still struggled financially. All this stress seemed to make my mother weaker and weaker each day. My father …show more content…
I had to take a loan form a local trader, and agree to make repayments. I borrowed the money so I could pay to go on the ship. The trader said my brothers and I would have to work for him if I failed to pay off the loan. He also said that he would give the money I sent him to my family. I think I have been lucky to find him. He had plenty of money, so he never took the money I sent.
A few weeks after that, I farewelled my family and boarded the steamboat.
The journey to Melbourne was terrible! It took several months to get there. There were about 650 people on the boat when we departed, but when we got to Australia, there were only 400 remaining on the boat. That is because a lot of people died from diseases, like scurvy and rickets. I did suffer from a few fevers and a lot of colds, but at least I did not die or lose any limbs. Dead people and lost limbs were just thrown off board, but they were sometimes left lying around. It is really disgusting to trip over a dead body, and then fall on top of another – believe me, I know.
Luckily, I reached Australia in one
Ever wondered what life was like for Chinese people in the Gold Rush? Read Jiang’s story to find out!
My name is Jiang. I am now eighty-two years old, but I came to Australia when I was only 19.
The reason I came to Australia was to take part in the Gold Rush, so I could look after my family. The Gold Rush started in 1851, but the news about it did not reach China until 1853. I wanted to come here the moment I found out about it, but my financial conditions at the time did not permit me to do so.
I lived in a small house with my mother and two younger brothers. My mother ran a business, in which she cooked noodles for people. She was a good cook, and people really liked the noodles she made, but we still struggled financially. All this stress seemed to make my mother weaker and weaker each day. My father …show more content…
I had to take a loan form a local trader, and agree to make repayments. I borrowed the money so I could pay to go on the ship. The trader said my brothers and I would have to work for him if I failed to pay off the loan. He also said that he would give the money I sent him to my family. I think I have been lucky to find him. He had plenty of money, so he never took the money I sent.
A few weeks after that, I farewelled my family and boarded the steamboat.
The journey to Melbourne was terrible! It took several months to get there. There were about 650 people on the boat when we departed, but when we got to Australia, there were only 400 remaining on the boat. That is because a lot of people died from diseases, like scurvy and rickets. I did suffer from a few fevers and a lot of colds, but at least I did not die or lose any limbs. Dead people and lost limbs were just thrown off board, but they were sometimes left lying around. It is really disgusting to trip over a dead body, and then fall on top of another – believe me, I know.
Luckily, I reached Australia in one