Cirrus@Austlit

Nineteenth-Century Travel Writing

John Sherer's (c.1810-1899) travel narrative is a romanticised autobiographical account of his life as a gold digger. Sherer provides an elaborate description of Victoria in an attempt to give the reader an insight into the "atmosphere" of Australia. The Gold-Finder in Australia included an account of the voyage and stories of the passengers on the way to Australia, descriptions of Melbourne, the diggings, and life in the bush as a successful gold digger. The work was illustrated with forty-eight engravings (taken from sketches made in the colonies).