EUREKA STOCKADE

The Eureka Stockade was a protest by miners on the Victorian goldfields in 1854. It came as a result of opposition to the government mining licenses. License fees had to be paid, whether the miner found gold or not. It cost about 30 shillings (around $150) a month. If they didn’t have them when they were digging, didn’t matter where, they would be thrown into gaol. And since the Chinese diggers had special taxes, 120 miners attacked the Chinese camp and burnt their tents and temples. More than 2400 died, most by drowning in the water trying to escape. 

The Eureka Flag

Later in November, thousands of diggers fought for the abolition of the license fee. The right to vote belonged to only the landowners and squatters. So the diggers argued that they paid more for their licenses than the squatters did for their leases. The licenses then entitled them to vote. Though, Governor Hotham refused to comply with their demands and a mass burning of licenses took place and protesters marched to the Eureka Diggings and constructed a stockade. 500 men, led by Peter Lalor, swore an oath under a flag featuring the Southern Cross and prepared to defend the stockade.

By December, the stockade had been built, but the soldiers attacked at 4:45 AM on Sunday when many miners had already left, believing the soldiers wouldn’t attack on the holy day. The miners were outnumbered two to one and the attack lasted for twenty-minutes where 22 diggers and 5 soldiers were killed, while Peter Lalor escaped with a wounded arm, which was later amputated. The Southern Cross was then torn down. Although the Eureka uprising was put down, it did bring a change to the laws.