The Eureka Stockade

Diggers hated having to pay for gold licences and

believed that the cost was too high.

They had to pay whether they found any gold or

not.

Diggers licensing, Forest Creek, 1852

Diggers hated the way the licence inspectors treated them roughly. Miners were often dragged off to prison or chained to trees if they could not produce a licence. The Diggers called these inspections “hunts”.

Diggers hated the way the licence inspectors treated them roughly. Miners were often dragged off to prison or chained to trees if they could not produce a licence. The Diggers called these inspections “hunts”.

Even if they paid for a licence the miners felt they got little in return for their fees – like roads to the goldfields, buildings and drainage systems or protection against bushrangers.

In June 1854, Sir Charles Hotham arrived from

England to become the new governor of Victoria.

He visited the goldfields and decided that more

money was needed from licences. He increased

licence inspections to twice a week.

In October 1854 a miner – James Scobie - was killed in a

fight outside a hotel in Ballarat. The local miners believed

that the hotel owner James Bentley was the killer but

because he was friends with the local police he was let off.

The miners were so cross they started a riot and burnt down

the hotel.

In November 1854 a proper trial was held and the hotel

owner was found guilty of killing the miner by accident and

sent to prison for 3 years. Some minors were sent to prison

for a short time for burning down the hotel.

On the 11th of November 1854 a group of 10,000 diggers

called the Ballarat Reform League wrote a list of demands

to Governor Hotham:

• More rights for citizens

• No licence fees

• Release of the rioters

Hotham refused them all.

When Hotham refused all the demands, the miners started

to burn their licences. The licence hunts became even

rougher and lots of fighting started between the

government troops and the miners.

30 November 1854 a huge meeting of about 12,000 diggers

was held at Bakery hill and Peter Lalor told the miners to

build a stockade and they swore and oath

“We swear by the Southern Cross to stand truly by each

other and fight to defend our rights and liberties”

On the 2 December a stockade was built and Peter Lalor

was chosen to command it.

The government decided the miners were a threat and

started to prepare for a battle.

Satudrday night 2 December – many miners went home

with only a few inside the stockade. They did not think the

troops would attack on a Sunday when people were

supposed to be at church.

Sunday 3 December 04:45 a.m. the government troops

attacked and the miners were outnumbered two to one.

The battle was over in 15-20 mins

but the troopers kept bayonetting and shooting wounded diggers.

22 miners and 4 soldiers were killed and many injured. Peter

Laylor was shot in the shoulder. He escaped but his left arm

had to be amputated.

The Eureka flag was torn down and any remaining miners were

arrested.

Eventually 13 miners were accused of High Treason and sent

to trial in Melbourne

The general public and the newspapers were on the side of

the miners – who they said were heroes. They did not like

how rough the troopers had been and there were calls for

Governor Hotham to be sent back to England.

The government delayed the trials in the hope everyone

would forget about it but in the end all the miners were found

not guilty.

The Eureka stockade showed that a group of ordinary

people could demand their rights and change the way

Australia was governed.

The Victorian miners were given the vote – for the first time in

Australian men who did not own land had a say in making

laws.

Gold licences were replaced with a Miner’s rights costing

$1

The End