Compared with other nations, Welsh migration in the 19th century was relatively insignificant. The iron and coal industries, particularly in south Wales, expanded quickly, which drew Welsh residents from more rural areas in mid and west Wales for work, keeping much of the Welsh labour force within its borders. Unlike Ireland, where widespread famine led to large-scale migration, Welsh migration was on a smaller scale, and was driven by more individual motives.
There was no significant Welsh migration to Australia until the gold rush of the 1850s. Early census records suggest that there were about 1800
