<P> The gold rushes caused a huge influx of people from overseas . Australia 's total population more than tripled from 430,000 in 1851 to 1.7 million in 1871 . Australia first became a multicultural society during the gold rush period . Between 1852 and 1860 , 290,000 people migrated to Victoria from the British Isles , 15,000 came from other European countries , and 18,000 emigrated from the United States . Non-European immigrants , however , were unwelcome , especially the Chinese . </P>
where did immigrants come from during the australian gold rush
British Isles European countries United States