Eureka

The Story of Eureka By Dorothy Wickham and Clare Gervasoni The short and bloody Eureka battle occurred at sunrise on Sunday morning, 3rd December 1854. It was the culmination of many months of unrest on the Victorian goldfields. Miners and storekeepers were unhappy about the costs of licenses, their lack of parliamentary representation, and the unjust Government administration. On 11 November 1854, at a huge meeting on Ballaratís Bakery Hill, the Ballaarat Reform League was formed. The meeting comprised of miners, storekeepers, ministers of religion, and particularly those of the Eureka Lead, who were concerned with reform of the goldfieldsí administration. Many Chartists, including Humffray, Blackand Kennedy, were involved in making resolutions. The principles of the Ballaarat Reform League encompassed Chartist ideals. The reformists believed that it was the ìinalienable right of every citizen to have a voice in making the laws he is called upon to obey, and that taxation without representation is tyranny.î The following is a comparison of the resolutions of the Ballarat Reform League and Chartism. The Ballaarat Reform League 1. A full and fair representation 2. Manhood suffrage 3. No property qualification of members for the Legislative Council 4. Payment of members of Parliament 5. Short duration of Parliament Chartism 1. Voting by ballot 2. Universal suffrage 3. Abolition of property qualifications or members 4. Payment of Members of Parliament 5. Annual Parliaments 6. Equal electoral districts James Scobie, a Scottish miner had been found murdered on 7 October 1854 on the Eureka Lead. James Bentley was accused of his murder. On 18 November 1854, James Bentley, Thomas Farrell and William Hance were convicted of the manslaughter of Scobie. Bentley, and his employees Farrell and Hance, had been tried and acquitted previously for this murder, but due to the outcry on the Ballarat Diggings, the insinuation of police corruption, and the subsequent riot and burning of the Eureka Hotel on 17 October 1854, there had been cause for a new trial. The men accused of destroying the Eureka Hotel, Henry Westerby, Thomas Fletcher and Andrew McIntyre, were convicted and sentenced to gaol on 20 November 1854. Humffray, Black and Kennedy, representing the Ballaarat Reform League demanded the release of these prisoners on 27 November. It was a fatal mistake, as the use of the word ìdemandî strengthened Governor Hothamís resolve for control. Military reinforcements from the 12th and 40th Regiments were sent to Ballarat. The 12th Regiment entered Ballarat between nine and ten oíclock at night, and marched through the Eureka Diggings on 28 November 1854. Earlier in the day, the 40th Regiment had marched into Ballarat led by Captain Christopher Wise, with a full show of force and with bayonets drawn. They encountered no resistance or problems. On 29 November 1854 a ëMonster Meetingí was held on Bakery Hill. A flag, representing the Southern Cross, with white stars on a dark blue background, was flown on an eighty foot pole. The diggers took the ëOath of the Southern Crossí. They knelt, and with heads uncovered pointed to the banner and said, ìWe swear by the Southern Cross to stand truly by each other and defend our rights and liberties.î Only four days later, in the early hours of Sunday 3 December 1854, some of these miners lost their lives to their cause. This was the culmination of the goldfields unrest and ill feeling. This was Eureka.