Snell, Edward, 1820-1880

This diary relates to his residency in England.

Edward Snell was an engineer, surveyor, artist and adventurer. He spent some months on the goldfields near Bendigo and won the contract to build the Geelong - Melbourne railway, Australia's first country railway.

Edward Snell (1820-1880) was an engineer, artist and adventurer who arrived on the Victorian goldfields in 1852. He told of his experiences in his diary entitled "The life and adventures of Edward Snell." His personal thoughts captured the ordinary day to day lives of gold diggers.

Edward Snell (1820-1880) was an engineer, artist and adventurer who arrived on the Victorian goldfields in 1852. He told of his experiences in his diary in which his personal thoughts capture the ordinary day to day lives of gold diggers. The diary has been published: The life and adventures of Edward Snell : the illustrated diary of an artist, engineer and adventurer in the Australian colonies 1849 to 1859, edited by Tom Griffiths with assistance from Alan Platt, North Ryde, N.S.W. , Angus and Robertson and The Library Council of Victoria, 1988.

The 'Advance Australia Arms' (named because of the motto inscription) became widely used in NSW and the neighbouring colonies by private corporations and individuals. Although they never had any official status, they formed the basis for several official coats of arms, including the NSW Coat of Arms.