After gold was discovered near Ballarat in August 1851, other finds were made at Golden Point to the north-west. By mid October it was estimated that there were some 2,000 tents near Golden Point, with 10,000 men at work. For a short time some fantastic daily yields were achieved, but the shallow deposits on the hillside could not withstand the furious rate of extraction. By year’s end the field was nearly deserted.