G For Gold

 So far, in my A to Z blog challenge, I’ve explored my ancestors’ early arrivals between 1816 and 1851.

Today, I’m shifting focus to the broader impact of the gold rush—a transformative period that reshaped migration patterns and travel across Australia. While many came in search of gold, others sought new opportunities in a land of promise.

Hezekiah Bennetts: A Miner’s Journey

Hezekiah Bennetts (my 3^rd great-grandfather) moved across parishes in west Cornwall with his growing family—searching for work as a miner, shelter, and stability. From Wheal Hope in Perranzabuloe(i) to Goonhaven, Perranzabuloe,(ii) went wherever work could be found.

While living in Perranzabuloe, Hezekiah worked as a lead miner. In Goonhaven, the family met John Vivian and his household. In 1848, John Vivian passed away.(iii) Before he died, John's daughter, Nancy, had become friends with Elizabeth, the daughter of Hezekiah. Recognising their friendship, John extracted a promise from Hezekiah to care for his daughter Elizabeth as one of his own and to support her.(iv) These promises must have brought him great comfort before he died. Sadly, for Elizabeth, her mother passed away six years later in 1854.(v)

When the Bennetts decided to migrate, they took Elizabeth with them. As a friend of their daughter Nancy, she would also be a great help with the little ones during the difficult journey.

The Gold Rush: A Catalyst for Migration

The Bennetts were part of a much larger wave of migration. The discovery of gold in 1851 sparked a frenzy that brought tens of thousands of migrants from Britain, Europe, North America, and China to Australia. Cornwall, with its long mining tradition but declining industry, saw many of its skilled miners like Hezekiah looking to Australia as their salvation. Travel surged as people scrambled to reach the goldfields, often boarding whatever ship they could find.

Assisted migration schemes had already played a significant role in shaping Australia’s population. Between 1832 and 1850, approximately 127,000 assisted migrants arrived, comprising around 70% of all immigrants during that time. However, after gold was discovered, migration numbers skyrocketed—by the 1850s, around 230,000 assisted migrants had arrived, making up half of all newcomers.(vi)

It was in this frenzied atmosphere that Hezekiah Bennetts and his family headed for Australia. While many rushed to the goldfields with dreams of instant wealth, the Bennetts brought something more valuable—mining skills honed in the Cornish mines that would be desperately needed as the initial gold rush excitement gave way to more technical mining operations.

Arrival in South Australia

Hezekiah Bennetts arrived in the province of South Australia on 22 January 1856 aboard the Australia. According to the passenger records, the following members of the Bennetts household made the journey together:(vii)

1. Hezekiah (aged 36): Miner
2. Mary (aged 45): his wife (my 3rd great-grandmother)
3. Nancy (aged 14): Servant
4. Rebecca (aged 5) My 2nd great-grandmother
5. Mary (aged 1)
6. Elizabeth Ann Vivian (aged 14): Servant (friend of the family as mentioned earlier)

The family made their way over to Victoria and settled down to live, all together, in a tent on the goldfields in Forest Creek.

Resilience Amid Challenges

The journey of the Bennetts and Elizabeth Ann Vivian to Australia was driven by the search for new opportunities and a better life. The decision to migrate, although fraught with uncertainty, was likely bolstered by the support of family and friends, as evidenced by the close connection between the Bennetts and Vivians.

Despite the challenges they faced, such as the complicated situation that unfolded in Forest Creek, the story ultimately speaks to the resilience of these individuals as they sought to build a new life in a foreign land. The promises made by Hezekiah Bennett, while not without their own difficulties, serve as a reminder of the hope and determination that underpinned their collective journey.

About the Ship: Australia

• Rig: Ship
• Built: 1852
• Built in: St John, New Brunswick
• Tonnage: 1125/1170
• Owner: C. Moore., reg. London

 Author 2025, Sandra Williamson

Sources:

(i)  Free UK Genealogy "General Register Office: 1841 Census Returns database", FreeCEN (https://www.freecen.org.uk/search_records/5902946fe9379091b184e72d : accessed 7 Apr 2025) [data about Hezekiah BENNETS in household of Hezekiah BENNETS]; citing Piece: 150 Place: Padstow Enumeration District: 23 Civil Parish: Perranzabuloe Ecclesiastical Parish: - Folio: 91 Page: 9 Schedule: Address: Wheal Hope.

(ii) Free UK Genealogy "General Register Office: 1851 Census Returns database", FreeCEN (https://www.freecen.org.uk/search_records/5a1437bdf4040b9d6e257cad : accessed 7 Apr 2025) [data about Hezekiah BENNETS]; citing Piece: 1909 Place: Probus Enumeration District: 1g Civil Parish: Perranzabuloe Ecclesiastical Parish: - Folio: 431 Page: 14 Schedule: 31 Address: Goonhaven.

(iii) John Vivian burial: Cornwall Online Parish Clerks Database; Burials database, Perranzabuloe, [https://www.cornwall-opc-database.org/search-database/burials/ Cornwall OPC] (accessed 7 April 2025): John Vivian burial (died age 48) on 12 Dec 1848 in Gonavern in Perranzabuloe, Cornwall, England.

(iv) 1859 'CASTLEMAINE POLICE COURT.', Mount Alexander Mail (Vic. : 1854 - 1917), 13 July, p. 2. , viewed 07 Apr 2025, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article199051329 [Explanation: Based on the newspaper reports concerning a court case in Castlemaine, it seems that Hezekiah had promised to look after Elizabeth, as a daughter and supporting her]

(v)  Burial of Elizabeth Vivian burial 1854: Cornwall Online Parish Clerks Database; Burials database, Perranzabuloe, [https://www.cornwall-opc-database.org/search-database/burials/  Cornwall OPC] (accessed 7 April 2025); Elizabeth Vivian burial (died age 48) on 26 Nov 1854 in Perranzabuloe, Cornwall, England.

(vi) National Museum Australia website, Defining Moments: Assisted migration, (https://digital-classroom.nma.gov.au/defining-moments/assisted-migration-introduced : 3 April 2025) also see (https://www.nma.gov.au/defining-moments/resources/assisted-migration : 3 April 2025)

(vii) Passenger Lists 1845 - 1940 | State Records of South Australia. (2019). Archives.sa.gov.au. Retrieved 11 October 2019, from https://www.archives.sa.gov.au/finding-information/discover-our-collection/migration-and-crew/passenger-lists-1845-1940 citing passenger list 3/1856 - Australia