In 1852 William Howitt (1792-1879) set sail for Australia with two of his sons in order to try his luck in the goldfields of Victoria. By then he was already a prolifically published author of both prose and verse. He was only moderately successful as a gold-digger, but his account of life in the new colony, published in 1855 after his return to England, provides an extraordinary snapshot of the rapid early growth of Melbourne. Volume 1 covers Howitt's first impressions of Australia, his experiences on the journey to the diggings at Bendigo, the throngs of prospectors, the exorbitant prices charged by profiteering merchants, and the miners' protest over high government licence fees. He describes the hard life endured by the diggers and warns against women coming to the colony.
Preface; 1. Signs of approach to land; 2. First sample of scenery; 3. Scenes in Melbourne - rage for gain in tradesmen; 4. Still Melbourne, and glimpses of its neighbourhood - projecting our journey; 5. On the way; 6. Break down; 7. Scene on passing Sandy Creek; 8. Author attacked by dysentery; 9. Rise of charges as we proceed; 10. Ovens diggings; 11. Diggers' propensities - firing guns and felling trees; 12. Stealing away; 13. Digging up the creek; 14. Fresh throngs on the diggings; 15. Leave the Yackandanda; 16. Immense growth of Melbourne; 17. On the road again; 18. Struggling up the road again; 19. Aspect of diggings and diggers; 20. On the way to Bendigo; 21. Bendigo diggings; 22. Digger insurrection.