Eureka!

I take up again my series on the Monuments that are erected in Ballarat.

I started with the first explorers and then the discovery of Gold and the concomitant benefits and problems that this brought – extreme wealth and racist abuse particularly toward the Chinese.

Gold also gave rise to political expectations. Victoria was, of course a colony – ‘possession’ – of Britain. But the people who flocked to Ballarat had come from all over the world. Most were from Britain but they were also from North America and from Germany, France, Italy, Poland and Hungary.

In Germany it was the time of the collapse of the Confederation – Italy was yet to become a nation – and the whole of Europe was beset by revolution and the conflict between republicanism and monarchy. The United States were on their way to tearing themselves apart. So it was little wonder that all these feelings were present in Australia.

At the time there were some fairly unloved restrictions on the miners and they decided to refuse to cooperate with the police. A report on the State Library of Victoria website has more detail if you wish to delve deeply into the only armed uprising in Australian history. (If you do then click this link.)

This extract from the site I just mentioned gives the simple facts.

On 3 December  (1854, there was an all-out clash between the miners and the police, supported by the military. The miners planned their defence and attack carefully, but they were no match for the well-armed force they faced. When the battle was over, 125 miners were taken prisoner and many were badly wounded. Six of the police and troopers were killed and there were at least 22 deaths among the diggers.

But my purpose is to look at monuments and memorials. On major memorial which I have not photographed is The Museum of Australian Democracy at Eureka (MADE) Located on the historic site of the 1854 Eureka Stockade, it is home to the Eureka Flag. (the photo at the top is of the Museum taken by Graham Denholm Photography)

Since the time it was first flown it has been a symbol for many Trade Unions and also some extreme right parties. It is worn on the uniform of the men and women crew of the HMAS Ballarat. However the Ballarat City Council has recently sought Commonwealth protection for the Eureka flag, amid fears it has been “hijacked” for political purposes.

Anyway, back to the riot/rebellion.

The elected leader of the miners was an Irishman, Peter Lalor, and although he started his Australian journey as a miner and rebel he became an elected member of the Victorian Government, postmaster-general and Commissioner for Customs and finally Speaker of the House. Link Here for more on Lalor.

This is Peter Lalor as Speaker of The House.

You will notice that he has no left arm. He lost it at the Stockade Rebellion.

For more monuments we must now head over to the Ballarat Old Cemetery.

 

This is to remember the soldiers and police who died at the Stockade.

I do believe that there is a certain amount of personal opinions being carved in stone here.

And here is where they remember the miners who died in their “Courageous but Misdirected Endeavour”

I apologise for the quality of these shots but “it was a dark and stormy” day.

And again, the opinion piece!

I am actually proud of the fact that the two sides are commemorated with stones that declare either side of the story. Furthermore it says a lot about a country that doesn’t tear down a monument just because it represents an alternate stance on a matter as important as that country’s growth and development.

I hope it is not too difficult but you can read the names and the places of origin of those who died.

(Ireland, New South Wales, Hanover, Canada, Nova Scotia, Scotland, England, Prussia and Wurtemberg.)

Coming up next – The workers rights and unionism.