https://pjmedia.com/richardfernandez/2009/09/03/after-the-gold-rush/feed/PJ Media is a leading news site covering culture, politics, faith, homeland security, and more. Our reporters and columnists provide original, in-depth analysis from a variety of perspectives.en-usThu, 11 Jun 2026 06:46:51 -0400<![CDATA[About 150 years ago the demand for gold attracted people to the furthest corners of the earth. &#8220;A gold rush is a period of feverish migration of workers into the area of a dramatic discovery of commercial quantities of gold. Gold rushes took place in the 19th century in Australia, Brazil, Canada, South Africa, and the United States &#8230; Gold rushes helped spur permanent non-indigenous settlement of new regions and define a significant part of the culture of the North American and Australian frontiers.&#8221; according to Wikipedia. Gold arguably played a more important part in the creation of Australia than the British convict system. &#8220;The number of new arrivals to Australia was greater than the number of convicts who had landed there in the previous seventy years. The total population trebled from 430,000 in 1851 to 1.7 million in 1871.&#8221;]]>Thu, 03 Sep 2009 14:46:14 -0400<![CDATA[Richard Fernandez]]>https://pjmedia.com/richard-fernandez/2009/09/03/after-the-gold-rush-n189078