Gold, ink, and bitter disappointment: Swedish journalist Corfitz Cronqvist in Australasia, 1857-95

Amongst the thousands of non-British migrants who were drawn to Victoria between 1852-57, not all saw the gold-rich soil of Ballarat and Bendigo in the same light. This article examines the endeavours of Swedish Journalist Corfitz Cronqvist (1833-95), who migrated to Australia in 1857 and established the first Scandinavian-Australian newspaper, Norden. An analysis of Cronqvist's initial aspirations and spirit-breaking defeats argues that newly arrived migrants often underestimated the difficulties and realities of Australian colonial life. While the accuracy and honesty of his writing is called into question, Cronqvist is nonetheless incredibly valuable as an alternate viewpoint regarding migrant life, mining communities and newspaper history in colonial Victoria