EurekaStockade

THE
          EUREKA
                   STOCKADE

December 3rd., 1854

By 1853,with the gold strike well and truly underway, the population of the small hamlet of Ballarat, had swollen to 50,000 people, mostly miners of all different nationalities. The majority comprising of Irish and Canadians. All seeking their fortunes in the richest gold fields in the world at that time.
Being administered by the Victorian authorities and not receiving what they considered 'true British justice'. The miners were laboured with unreasonable licence fees, and together with an administration system that lent itself to corruption and harsh treatment of the general population.
Appeals to the Victorian authorities of the day, fell on deaf ears and the miners felt they had no option but to protest in the only way remaining, by open rebellion.
It's believed that this uprising and rebellion was the very FIRST step to democracy in Australia.
Although by world standards, a relatively small and very short lived rebellion, it was very significant. Bringing the authorities to realise, that no longer would the population of this new country, be content with the dictatorial and oppressive treatment handed out in the past years.
Led by Canadian, Captain Henry Ross, and Irishman, Peter Lalor...they hastily trained the available men (totaling around 300 in all) of those men, only 30 truly Australian born citizens were involved in the military style uprising.
They built a rough stockade from which to defend themselves from the inevitable attack of the authorities.
A new flag was designed to fly at the stockade, and
every man took the 'Diggers Oath' .
"We swear by the Southern Cross to stand truly by one another and to fight to defend our rights and liberties".

Eureka Flag

Australia's Flag
Today

Captain Henry Ross, is believed to have designed the flag of the 'Southern Cross' which was flown at the stockade, to mark the resolve of the rebels.
Australia still retains the 5 stars of the Southern Cross on it's flag today.
In the early hours of the morning of 3rd December, 1854 the government forces together with Victorian police, attacked the stockade.
It took barely 20 minutes for the soldiers to put down the uprising. Of course striking at pre dawn, whilst many of the men were at church services, aided the troops.
The rebels lost 20 or so men in the actual fighting, and approximately 15 died from their wounds later.
For months following the rebellion, the authorities were still trying to track down the insurgents to bring them in for trial. A total of 120 men were arrested in all,
and only 13 of those were committed to trial.
Anyone found harbouring such fugitives were treated as
sympathisers and harsh treatment was the penalty.
With the sympathy of all civilians, when the trial eventually took place, the jury refused to come to a decision. Resulting in several subsequent trials being held, however, no jury would find the defendants guilty and all were freed.
Peter Lalor survived the wounding, and in later years became a member of parliament in Victoria...however the luckless Henry Ross, surrendered on the day, but was shot 10 or 15 minutes after his arrest.
This was another example of the disdain handed out to the populace by the authorities of the day.
It was this reslove of the population, that ensured the eventual forming of democratic government in Victoria.
Eventually leading to Federation on 1st January, 1901.
Never again would Australians be ruled by a foreign government.