Gold cover art

Gold

The Remarkable Story of Edward Hammond Hargraves – Charlatan, Imposter and Self-Proclaimed Discoverer of Gold in Australia

 Preview
LIMITED TIME OFFER

3 Months Free

$8.99/month after 3 months. Cancel anytime.
Get this deal
Offer ends on 29 July 2026 at 11:59 AEST.
More purchase options

Gold

By: Matt Murphy
Narrated by: Kaya Byrne
Get this deal

$8.99/month after 3 months. Cancel anytime. Offer ends on 29 July 2026 at 11:59 AEST.

Buy Now for $26.99

Buy Now for $26.99

Ask Google Who discovered gold in Australia? and you'll promptly get 'Edward Hammond Hargraves'. Hargraves has for decades received the fame, fortune and adulation from all corners of the country, but did he earn it?

What about the two diggers he met on the Californian goldfields who told him where to look when he returned home to Australia?

What about the guys who led him to where they'd heard gold had been found before?

What about the pioneers whose discoveries had been documented years earlier?

This is the story of an oversized layabout who received years of accolades and free lunches, despite lumbering from one embarrassment to another, and of those who spent decades trying to expose him and seek their share of the glory.

©2025 Matt Murphy. Matt Murphy asserts his moral right to be identified as the author of this work. First published by HarperCollinsPublishers in English in. (P)2024 Bolinda Publishing. This audio version produced by arrangement with HarperCollins Publishers Australia Pty Limited 19th Century Americas Australia, New Zealand & Oceania Expeditions & Discoveries Modern World
adbl_web_anon_alc_button_suppression_t1
All stars
Most relevant
Loved the book, however, the pronunciation of Ophir (which is mentioned dozens of times) and Carcoar did my head in. Please ask a local before starting a recording.

A great read but the pronunciation…

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Excellent book, very well read. Had me from the first chapter when says spoiler alert Hargreaves was a jerk. I have the book on the welcome stranger I haven’t read yet and I’ll have your indigenous Australian theory in mind when I read it, Very interesting. Keep up the great work.

Truth told through great research

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.