Tom Morison is a reluctant freeholder in South Australia and unsuited to farming. But Tom is redeemed when his education in geology and chemistry finally gives the family their best Christmas ever - a 'golden' one. In this and eight other 'lost' stories of goldmining in colonial-era Australia, a colourful cast of characters star in stories of love and crime, loyalty and betrayal, spirituality and avarice. And the eternal lure of gold and its corrupting influence are ever-present. Associate Professor Tanya Dalziell teaches and researches in English and Literary Studies at the University of Western Australia. She has published widely in the area of literary studies, and serves on the editorial boards of leading national and international journals. She is, with Paul Genoni, winner of the 2019 Prime MInister's LIterary Award for Non-fiction. is an Australian Research Council funded project, led by Associate Professor Katherine Bode, that has unearthed an astonishing bibliographic index and full-text archive of fiction in Australian newspapers from 1803 to 1955.