Search the collections
Similar items over time
Letter - R. Gatward, Prahran, Melbourne to Polly, Luton, England, circa 1859
Reg. No: HT 3534
Previous Page
Next Page
- Summary:
- Four page handwritten letter from R. Gatward in Prahran, Victoria, to Polly in Luton, England, circa 1859. R. Gatward was a miner who came from Bedfordshire and appears to have worked in a draper's shop before emigrating.
This letter was written when Gatward was recovering from scurvy, the result of the lack of fresh fruit and vegetables on the goldfields. He talks about mutual acquaintances, and suggests the important role that friends made on board ship had for new settlers without family. He also talks of the difficulties of the diggings: 'Gold digging is a very precarious way of making a fortune. I do not say making a living for I think everyone can do that, but the privations and hardships are greater than I should like to put up with for just that ?' - Description:
- Four pages of a letter, written in ink on good-quality notepaper.
- Acquisition Information:
- Donation from Mr Brian Burton, 2004
| Discipline: | History |
More information
| Tagged with: | gold, immigrant voyages, settlement, correspondence, goldfields, english immigration, gold mining |
| Themes this item is part of: | Domestic & Community Life Collection, Migration Collection, Reuben Gatward, English Migrant, 1852 |
| Primary Classification: | MIGRATION |
| Secondary Classification: | Settlement - Cultural & Social Life |
| Tertiary Classification: | correspondence |
| Sender: | R. Gatward, Prahran, Victoria, Australia, circa 1859 |
| Addressed To: | Polly, Luton, England, Great Britain, circa 1859 |
Themes
This item is part of the following themes:
Add your question or comment