Primary Catalogue

This clip is a comprehensive overview of the wide array of roles and experiences of women during the gold rush and early settlement of Australia. We look at women's occupations and domestic roles, and the daily lives of poor, middle class and wealthy women. Experiences of migrant women from China, Italy, and Britain are described, alongside those experiences of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women. Paintings, cartoons and photography from the time period illustrate the realities of this era.