Throughout history, gold has been the stuff of legends, fortunes, conflict and change. The discovery of gold in Australia 150 years ago precipitated enormous developments in the newly settled land. Immigrants flooded in from Asia and Europe, and the population and economy boomed in spontaneous cities. The effects on both the environment and indigenous Aboriginal peoples have been profound and lasting. In this book, a team of prominent historians and curators have collaborated to produce a cultural history of gold and its impact on the development of Australian society. This fascinating book will add a new dimension to previously recorded Australian history, and provide a richer understanding of the foundations of Australian culture. Like a handful of tailings, Gold brings together a collection of stories that have been left out of standard Australian histories. It is an essential history.