Old Newspaper News in Ballarat

From The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848-1954) Wednesday 11 August 1915

It shows how life was then, I suspect they were targeted because they were Chinese as racism was very rampant in those days

News Title: CHINESE AND GOLD.
THREE ARRESTS MADE.

BALLARAT, Tuesday.-Recently it came to the knowledge of Plain-clothes Constable, Morgan that a Chinese, Ah Kim, was likely to visit Melbourne with gold in his possession. Yesterday the constable watched all the departing trains from Ballarat, but without seeing his man. To-day he renewed the watch, and saw Ah Kim at the station with his hand held against his breast. The constable asked Ah Kim if he had any gold in his possession, and received a reply in the negative. Morgan thereupon took the Chinese into a private room, and in a pocket found a parcel of gold, weighing 21oz. A further search at the watchhouse disclosed two other parcels, which brought the total weight of gold to 62oz. 8dwt. Morgan and Detective Rogerson then went to Ah Kim's house and under a mattress found 4oz. of amalgam and 2oz. of gold. Ah Kim after having been questioned, made statements which caused the police to look for Ah Chung. When the two were brought face to face and had had a talk in Chinese Ah Chung said that he had given a little gold to Ah Kim, but that he had obtained it from a Chinese, who lived at Berringa. Ah Kim accounted for the gold in his house by saying that he had struck a golden reef.

Both Chinese were arrested on charges of having had in their possession gold which they could not account for to the satisfaction of the police. They were afterwards bailed out in sureties of £200.

Detective Rogerson and Plain-clothes Constable Morgan then motored to Berringa, and proceeded to the residence of Chuck Lin. A search of Chuck Lin's house revealed amalgam which was concealed on a rafter behind the canvas of the roof. This when weighed, scaled 69oz. 16dwt. Chuck Lin was charged with having had 62oz. 8dwt. of gold in his possession, and of having 69oz. 16dwt. of amalgam at the time of his arrest. He was subsequently admitted to bail in his own bond of £250, and two sureties of £250 each. The gold seized by the police was brought into Ballarat tonight. Altogether, the gold taken possession of is valued at about £400.

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footnote:
THE CHINESE DIGGERS
The Chinese, like many other diggers, came to Australia to search for gold because there were many problems in China, such as poverty (low of food) and drought. They had a very hard time because of the Europeans. Chinese diggers were hard-workers, they lived quietly in camps of their own and caused no trouble at all. That made the Europeans uneasy with their differences.
At first the Europeans only showed a little dislike to the Chinese. But the chinese were so desperate for gold and even looked where the Europeans had searched but funnily enough they found gold! This made the Europeans angry.The Europeans got so angry with the chinese successes that they caused a riot (a big fight) that killed many Chinese, broke their tents, smashed their equipment and beat them.
This made the chinese slowly leave Australia as more laws were passed against them.

INTERESTING FACT: Some chinese tomb stones from the gold rush times are still found in Australia today!

This is a Chinese Gold Miner (above)
In Bathurst, Hill End and Ballarat gold is still able to be discovered. Even after the 1000's and 1000's of gold miners that came to Australia many years ago!

For more recent Photos of Ballarat Gold fields copy this link www.pleasetakemeto.com/australia/victoria/goldfields/photos/image/800x600/Ballarat_78471M