Battle at Eureka Stockade, Victoria, Australia, 1854

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[Battle of Eureka Stockade, Victoria, Australia]

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Battle at Eureka Stockade, Victoria, Australia, 1854

More on Eureka

From: anngeisler@hotmail.com
Date: Sat, 27 Nov 1999 17:19:34 +1000

There were many other issues surrounding the miners and the uprising. After seeing the interest from my last posting, I thought I'd give a bit more detail on the events that ultimately had the stockade erected. And most importantly how the name Eureka came about.

After many complaints about the license issues, the troubles continued.

The miners accused the government of allowing the owner of the Eureka hotel, James Bentley, to go free after he and his bouncers killed a drunken miner, James Scobie, on 6 Oct 1854 outside the hotel. The angry miners wanted justice, so they took the law into their own hands on 17 Oct, burning down Bentley's Hotel. The miners then formed the Ballarat reform league on 11 Nov at Bakery hill, electing a seven man committee to represent them in their negotiations with the government over Bentley and the licensing fees. eventually the government agreed to try Bentley, who was sentenced for manslaughter, but the Government also imprisoned three miners for burning down the Hotel.

The miners were infuriated.

Their representatives visited the Gov, but they refused to release the three miners, and sent more troopers to the gold fields to maintain order. So on 29 Nov 1854, the miners burnt their licenses and hoisted a flag of their own - The Eureka flag - Declaring they would govern themselves. The gold Commissioner ordered a spot check of licenses the next day and tried to round up those who had burnt their licenses. The miners refused to go. He read the riot act. The miners decided to fight it out. Swearing allegiance to their new flag, symbolizing the southern cross in the night sky. This was when the stockade was built.

I love the stories about these miners. They were men from all over the world who united together. They made a difference.

Annie

From: anngeisler@hotmail.com
Date: 24 November 1999

The discovery of Gold in Victoria had a dramatic affect on Victoria.

(Victoria is a small state at the bottom of Australia.) In 1853 there were about 60,000 diggers, plus their families, on the Gold-fields, of these about 23,000 were at Bendigo. In June 1853 an Anti-Gold Licence Association was formed at Bendigo to give voice to the diggers' many grievances about their conditions and centred on the 30 shilling a month licence fee they had to pay. A petition was drawn up articulating grievances and the need for an improved law and order, such as the right to vote and the right to buy land. The petition was signed by over 30,000 diggers and was brought to Melbourne and presented to Lieutenant-Governor C.J. La Trobe on Aug 1853. After the failure to be heard through peaceful means, diggers elected a small group to lead them into their fight. An Irish Gold digger by the name of Peter Lalor was the leader. On Dec 2nd 1854, Lalor ordered a stockade to be built to serve as a fort for their defence, and called for muskets, pistols and any other weapons they could muster. Once the Stockade was completed, the rebel miners assembled in side. Lalor asked them to repeat the

Eureka Oath: We swear by the southern cross to stand truly by each other and fight to defend our rights and liberties. Amen!

The miners waited for the inevitable attack.

The miners weren't trained for fighting, many miners left their stockade on the Sabbath to go to church. The English Government troops not only struck on the Sabbath, but at 3am, taking the 120 remaining miners by surprise, killing 22 and wounding 12 others - including Peter Lalor. They took 100 prisoners and captured the stockade in 20min's.

Although Lalor's miners lost the battle, they eventually got the reforms they fought for. Miners were given licences for one pound a year. They were also given the right to vote, and finally miners who were in prison for treason were freed.

The miners also helped introduce reforms in government. because so many were from Europe or America, where conditions were better, they refused to live in a post convict society where Government was by the dictatorship of a British Governor. The miners helped native born Australians along the road to democratic reforms.

There is so much more that the miners did for the Australian folk. Even though they didn't own land or come from hight society, they changed so much for the Aussie battler.

I am proud to add that, My GG Grandfather Robert Sinclair was a gold miner in that area at the time of the uprising. This name is on the voting register in 1856. The first freedom vote for Australia. To vote that year, one had to have a miners licence, hold land ownership or have a trade.

Keep Smiling
Annie

Last changed: 99/11/27 13:21:47