1851 Fortune-hunters are rushing to the town of Bathurst in the Blue Mountains in New South Wales, Austrlia in search of gold. Veteran prospector Edward Hargraves started it when he panned some earth on a piece of land at summerhill creek that looked similar to what he'd seen in California - and found gold. The greedy and the gullible are swarming in like oths to a flame, lured by the myth that you can dig up a lifetime's wealth in a day. It is true that some are earning good money. The news has reached the world and boatloads of would-be prospectors are leaving from Britain and the United States. It's every man for himself when it comes to staking a claim, and the government is to impose a licensing system to prevent conflict and disorder.