The story of the impact of gold on experimental chemical science in Australia in the 1860s was initiated in Part 4 (see July issue, page 18) of this series with discussion of reportst concerning the methods of extraction of gold, and of papers speculating about the origin of gold nuggets. It concluded with a brief reference to the need for the refining of gold in the Colonies, and establishment of the Sydney Branch of the Royal Mint, where chemists William Stanley Jevons and Francis Bowyer Miller became the first assayers. This article highlights the excellent work of Miller, who invented a new and efficient process for the refining of gold.
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