Women and Children on the Goldfield
Bykane
Introduction
There were more men on the goldfields then women.Only a few women were single on the goldfields.95% of women were married on the goldfields but only 5% of the women on the goldfields were not married at all.Most women would go to the goldfields to support their husbands.
Roles and Responsibilitties
A shopkeeper
Panning for gold
Looking after their health
Women and children's health
Both women and children's health was bad on the Australian goldfields.
Health on the goldfields were very poor from 1850 to 1875.
About 200 children on the goldfields were all buried in a cemetery.Normally children on the goldfields would get sick,because of the harsh weather.Most children would get money on there own by digging for the shopkeepers of helping around.There were no hospitals on the goldfields to help children if they get sick or injured.Women and children would get sick more then there husbands.When their husbands were on the goldfields their wives would be looking after their children even if they were sick or busy.Even if children were sick they would always have to go on erands.Some children on the goldfields would get dysentery and some times even worse.
Women would need help to deliver their babies so people on the goldfield would have to help and even their baby would die if they had very bad diseases.