Faith and Failure on the Australian Goldfields: Gendered Interpretations of Piety and the “Good Death”

Gold‐seeking in the 1850s Australian gold rush provided opportunity for James and Maggie Hoey, a young Scottish couple, to pursue wealth, experience adventure, and escape some of the strictures of their United Presbyterian religious culture. They hoped that Providence would guide their paths to independence, prosperity, and eventual return to Scotland. Instead, they experienced repeated failure and suffering, becoming keenly aware of the absence of familiar avenues of support and solace. This article examines the gendered strategies family members developed to maintain or reclaim piety under unfavourable conditions on the goldfields. The disparity between their expectations and outcomes draws attention to the ways in which religious beliefs shaped individual response to suffering. The dogged, but ultimately futile, quest for gold undermined the capacity of James Hoey to fulfil his gendered roles, impacting upon his hope in, and assurance of, election to eternal life.