Eureka Stockade

Date: 4th December, 1854                                                                         Price: 1 Shilling
The Victorian Times

The fight that was held at the Eureka Stockade
(Ballarat, Victoria) started about just after
when the rooster squawked on the 3rd
December. The Government had about 279
coppers, troopers and the military altogether,
and approximately 150 diggers from the gold
field showed up. The fight only lasted for about
20 minutes, 22 troopers and only 4 gold diggers
perished; with a lot people injured on both sides.
the surviving policemen arrested over 100
diggers at the end of the fight. The diggers had
very limited weapons as the troopers had guns
with bayonets.

Here are some important events that led up to the
Eureka fight

  * 6th October
Ballarat hotel disallowed James Scobie and
Peter Martin because they were too drunk,
James Scobie was discovered dead outside
The Eureka Hotel.
  * 17th October
Roughly around 1,000 diggers gathered around
the Eureka Hotel where James Scobie was
killed. After a while 4,000 diggers have burnt
down the Eureka Hotel.
  * 11th November
The Ballarat diggers held a meeting together
at Bakery Hill when they have planned that
they will fight for improvements in law and
services from the government, voting rights
for themselves and ending of licence fee.
  * 29th October
All diggers have burnt their mining licences.
  * 30th October
Again another meeting at Bakery Hill. At the
meeting, Peter Lalor, the leader of the Ballarat
diggers said “We swear by the Southern Cross
to stand truly by each other and fight to defend.”
  * 2nd December
Only approximately 150 diggers were remained
at the Ballarat goldfield (there were about 25,000
diggers altogether before the death of James
Scobie)

Interview of Governor Sir Charles Hotham
about the fight at the Eureka Stockade

What caused the problem that has led to the
fight yesterday?
It was when...