Digging Deep talk

Canterbury Museum Senior Curator Human History Julia Bradshaw has spent 30 years unearthing fantastic stories about women on the New Zealand goldfields.

Her latest book, Digging Deep: Women on New Zealand's Goldfields, tells the stories of these remarkable women who played a vital part in the country's gold rush era, but were often overlooked by historians.

In this Friends of the Canterbury Museum talk, Julia explains why she felt the book was needed, the research process and the challenge of discovering these hidden histories. Goldfields have long been talked and written about as a man's experience, too tough and difficult for women. One 1950s historian wrote that "women on the goldfields during those first months ... were non- existent".

Julia's new book seeks to provide a deeper, more nuanced and empathetic account of women on the goldfields, who were often adventurers, entrepreneurs and survivors. Many supported their husbands, allowing men to dig and be remembered, and kept their children fed, clothed and safe. Others, despite the challenges, became rich and independent. Some women were overwhelmed by the harsh life and experienced brutality, poverty and mental health problems. A Friends of the Canterbury Museum talk.