Donald Fraser, The London Times, and the Gold Rushes of British Columbia

Abstract

This article investigates Donald Fraser’s efforts to popularise the gold rushes of British Columbia in The Times across 1858-66. Fraser was a veteran journalist who covered the California gold rush from 1849 and then shifted to Victoria, Vancouver Island when the Fraser River gold rush occurred in 1858. Fraser's correspondence is believed to have attracted several thousand goldrushers to British Columbia in 1862, but also elicited considerable controversy. The article examines Fraser's journalism, the accusations of his critics, and how the structure of nineteenth century communications networks may have facilitated the misinformation.