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Conditions on the Australian goldfields were crowded: miners had between 1 and 3 square metres of 'claim' to live and work. Conditions were unsanitary, due to the open toilet trenches. Diggers commonly lived in tents, which were simple ramshackle constructions of canvas stretched or draped over a support. Later, additions of bark might be added. Within these huts, the miners had a simple mat on the ground for their bed, with a blanket. Some even lived in rough, open bark shelters. People would live in small humpies made out of wood, scraps and things found around the area.

Those who stayed longer sometimes built larger slab hut dwellings, but these were still very basic. Later in the gold rush, when people were more certain about whether they were staying or not, people might decide to live in small cottages. These cottages often incorporated solid brick and stone fireplaces, instead of the diggers having to do all their cooking outside.

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13y ago

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