First published in 1855, this facsimile edition contains Volumes I and II. Howitt, the Quaker freelance journalist, travelled the main diggings of the Victorian gold areas during 1852-54 with his two sons. He observed the lusty feverish life of the gold miners as he, like so many others, tried their luck. He gained no gold, but he noted all that he saw and heard. Everything interested him: the explosive growth of Melbourne; the appearance, manners and habits of the miners; the techniques of gold mining; the operation of government and the often provocative behavior of the Goldfields Commisioners and the police; the countryside, the wildlife and the older, established sheep runs. He commented on social issues and customs and brings to life the Australian way of life in the mid nineteenth century. A literal 'gold mine' of information of the gold-rush days from an eye witness.