The gold fever that transformed cities and towns across Victoria from the 1850s to 1900, produced some very particular kinds of jewellery – not all of it “tasteful” or beautiful, and much of it in stark contrast to the jewellery favoured by the squattocracy and colonial elite of the time. But that makes it even more interesting and valuable in terms of the stories it tells.
A pop-up exhibition titled Gold, Glitz and Grit, showcasing 15 key pieces of this collection, is now open to the public, with plans for a broader exhibition in the future.
