Summary

Handwritten letter from John Stevens in Alma Victoria to Henry Giles Senior in Cornwall, England, 4 September, 1855. John and Henry went to Creswick's Creek about 20 kilometres north of Ballarat where European miners had found gold in 1852.

This letter was written from Alma, near Maryborough in the Victorian central goldfields. John is following up his previous letter to the family dated 28 May 1855 regarding the death of his friend and their son Henry.

This is one of a collection of six original handwritten letters relating to the migrant voyage and goldfields experiences of Henry Giles and his frind John Stevens, 1854-55.

Physical Description

Letter, written in ink on both sides of the notepaper.

Significance

Statement of Historical Significance:
These letters provide a detailed and revealing record of a young Cornish migrant's experiences of mid-nineteenth century shipboard travel and the Victorian goldfields in the years immediately after the gold rush commenced in 1851. They demonstrate the very real challenges of distance from home, and the stretches of time waiting between letters from distant families. They offer insights into the difference for many miners between the dreams and expectations of quick wealth on the goldfields and the realities of meagre finds and harsh and dangerous working and living conditions.

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