Chinese Immigration to Australia during the Gold Rush After the success of the American Gold Rush, the Australian Gold Rush attracted many migrants from all over the world. Chinese prospectors were perhaps the most controversial and interesting nationality to arrive on the goldfields. Assistance Provided on Arrival There was more or less no assistance of any kind provided to Chinese migrants, as immigration was a rather haphazard affair in the 19th century (especially for a young and isolated country like Australia) and the level of racism encountered by Chinese prospectors upon arrival made mining gold and making a living in Australia even more difficult. As a people, the Chinese possessed a great sense of entrepreneurship and were hard workers, and the immigrants who did succeed did so on their own initiative, starting ventures that involved growing and distributing food, washing clothes, and all manner of trades. to make money. Reasons for Immigration The Chinese, along with many others from around the world, had heard that Australia had found gold...