Gold: The true story of the discovery of gold in Australia and the man who took the credit, from the popular author of RUM, perfect for fans of Grantlee Kieza and David Hunt

(Paperback)

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Description

Lessons from the life of Edward Hammond Hargraves - charlatan, impostor, and self-proclaimed discoverer of Australian gold.

If you were to google 'Who discovered gold in Australia' you'd promptly get 'Edward Hammond Hargraves.' He got the fame, fortune and adulation, but was he really the guy

What about the two diggers he met on the Californian goldfields who told him where to look when he returned home

What about the guys who led him to where they'd heard gold had been found before

What about the pioneers whose discoveries had been documented years earlier

This is both the story of an oversized layabout who received years of accolades and free lunches despite lumbering from one embarrassment to another, and of those who spent decades trying to expose him and seek their share of the glory.

Author Bio

At school, Matt Murphy failed English and couldn't see the point of history. He became a firie and has been serving in Sydney's inner city for 33 years. He is now also a part time historian and teacher, tolerating the attitudes of kids towards history that he used to share. His previous book, Weight of Evidence, is about what was the longest civil court case in New South Wales. Matt's younger self would be aghast that he is now writing history books but be consoled by the absurdist voice old Matt has achieved. Matt also can't believe he has to write his own bio.