"There’s gold in them thar hills.”

Famous words that were coined by Mark Twain, in his 1892 novel, “The American Claimant.” The words were inspired by someone during the 1849 Gold Rush.

Fast-forward to today, we’re still trying to strike it rich by digging for gold. The location is the Cadia gold mine near Orange in central west NSW.

Throughout history, there is probably nothing more alluring than gold. Oil, another famous millionaire-maker, is called “liquid gold.” When a person spots a nugget of gold in the ground, I wouldn’t doubt that their pupils practically transform into dollar signs, their heart pumps out of their chest, and images of magnificent wealth race through their mind. It must be an intoxicating experience to see such a thing.

But two workers, digging for the mining giant, Newmont, have recently received the worst kind of news they could hear. The processes they have executed in the course of their daily work routines have exposed them to silica dust. Both men now have silicosis.