Life on the goldfields wasn’t as easy as some thought when they arrived off the boats to begin their luck at gold mining! Join Irish digger Ronan as he explains just what life was like for those in the fields – including the ‘canvas towns’ and the inability of colonies to accommodate such a huge influx of migrants, as well as monotonous food and sweeping illnesses. This episode also looks at what a ‘claim’ is, the role of women in the goldfields, the various jobs that were available, and the widespread racism against the Chinese diggers both by the diggers and the government.