(my mon)

 The Eureka Stockade

Sunday, 3 December 1854.

The "Eureka Stockade" uprising was essentially a short-lived revolt by gold miners against petty officialdom and harassment by a corrupt Police force, who would often ask miners to show their gold digging licences several times a day. The miners also objected to the high cost of the licences. 

Led by Peter Lalor, the Eureka uprising was a spectacular failure in a military sense. The revolt had its roots in the killing of a miner, James Scobie, by a publican. An inquest was held, but despite the evidence of miners, no conclusion was made about who was responsible. Instead, the miners who pressed for the arrest of the publican were taken into custody. 

This sparked protests by the miners who held many public meetings, and sought to take the law into their own hands by seeking out the publican and burning down his hotel. When the culprits were arrested and imprisoned, the situation in the goldfields became explosive and expanded to cover general discontent with unequal laws and unequal rights. 

The miners elected Lalor to lead them, and they built a stockade at the goldfields to defy the authorities. 
It was at this time the Eureka flag first appeared. 
Within a few days, a military force of about 300 men had assembled to attack the Stockade, and within 15 minutes of the commencement of the attack, had smashed the stockade and killed many of the rebels. 

Today, the Eureka flag is often used as a symbol of rebellion against authority.
 The torn and tattered remains are kept at the Ballarat Fine Art Museum.