Mining Exploration: 1850–1890s

Prospectors began to flock to the West with the discovery of gold at Halls Creek in 1885, at Southern Cross in 1887 and at Cue in 1891. In the goldfields era goldfields jewellery began to be produced.

Several professional artists were among the goldfields immigrants, including former National Gallery of Victoria students FM Williams, Clewin Harcourt and George Pitt Morison.as well as the British artist  James WR Linton.