Abstract

 There is a 'library' of books about Lasseter's Reef written by believers and non-believers and an incredible number of newspaper and magazine articles. The interest is timeless; it is spoken about and debated constantly and there is always someone with a new theory and angle. Canberra based author and mining historian Barry McGowan has set these stories in the context of man's endless pursuit of gold, of an incessant searching, wandering and dreaming. Fool's Gold provides fresh insights into the Lasseter story and includes accounts of some of the more notable, but equally unsuccessful, follow up expeditions. ... This book is unique in providing a wide sweep of Australian history from the earliest days up until the present and covers race relations of the day, conflicts between Aboriginal people and miners on the prospecting fields, an unusual but relevant digression into Australia's one and only ruby rush, the world of pirates and the Spanish Main and gold stories told by novelists, some of which may have influenced people such as Lasseter.