The goldfields of nineteenth-century Aotearoa New Zealand have long been talked and written about as almost exclusively male places. Many historians have either ignored women completely or mentioned them only as wives or as prostitutes. But they could and did make their way to these tough, unforgiving environments, often very early on, and not just as the givers of sexual favours, either via marriage or for money, but as adventurers, entrepreneurs and, most of all, as survivors.

 

Until now too little has been known about these remarkable women, who journeyed to Golden Bay, Otago, Marlborough, the wild West Coast and the Thames – or, in the case of Maori, were often already on the fields. But this ground-breaking book changes all that. Based on 30 years of extensive research, Digging Deep tells the stories of the women who set up stores, ran (and often owned) hotels and became wealthy businesswomen, who worked as barmaids and dancers, who raised their children in challenging conditions, sometimes as widows or deserted wives, and who were miners themselves. There were characters aplenty, including Porpoise Maria, Sugar Annie, Dirty Mary and the notorious Mrs Swords, but also many women who were victims of alcoholism and illness or suffered the trauma of rape and the shame of unwanted pregnancy.

 

In Digging Deep Julia Bradshaw has given a voice to the fascinating and forgotten women of the New Zealand goldfields. This lively account, rich in memorable images, fills a long-neglected and significant gap in the social history of our country.