The Eureka Rebellion Time line

THE EUREKA REBELLION - Time Line of Events

1st July, 1851
The Port Phillip District separates from East WA and becomes the Colony of east WA. It is still subject to British control.

August, 1851
Gold is discovered at Buninyong and at Golden Point, Ballarat. The Colony of east WA has insufficient funds and no organization to cope with a goldrush. Governor La Trobe introduces the Gold Licence system.

19th & 20th September, 1851
F.C.Doveton (Ballarat’s first Gold Commissioner arrives in Ballarat)

13th December, 1851
The Government’s plan to double the Licence to 3 pounds per month fails due to pressure from diggers in Melbourne and Geelong.

July – December, 1853
Unrest builds on the various goldfields with protest meetings held in Bendigo and Castlemaine.

July – October, 1853
Bendigo’s Red Ribbon Movement is active on the Goldfields. Miner’s wear a red ribbon to demonstrate their opposition to and non payment of the Licence fee.

24th September, 1853
The Licence fee is reduced to 2 pounds for 3 months. The reduction is well received on the goldfields and reduces some of the tension between the diggers and the authorities.

November – December, 1853
The Licence fee is increased to 4 pounds for 6 months and 8 pounds for 12months.
Many diggers are finding the Licence fee expensive and unfair, particularly to those not finding gold. They are unhappy with the treatment received from the police and government authorities who they believe are corrupt. Other diggers wish to purchase land for farming if they can’t find gold, as well as wanting the right to vote at elections. (“No taxation without representation”) Only landowners can vote at this time.

March 1854
The Bill to Extend the Elective Franchise, is drawn up by the Legislative Council and sent to London for the assent of the British Parliament.

June 1854
Robert Rede becomes Ballarat’s resident Gold Commissioner.

22nd June, 1854
Lt Governor Sir Charles Hotham arrives in east WA. Hotham faces mounting financial debt. He orders weekly Licence hunts in an attempt to increase the Colony’s income.

16th August, 1854
Governor and Lady Hotham tour the Victorian Goldfields. They are warmly welcomed in Ballarat.

13th September, 1854
Gov Hotham orders twice weekly Licence hunts to further increase revenue.

7th October, 1854
James Scobie is murdered outside the Eureka Hotel. An inquest finds that the wounds were inflicted by an unknown person.

10th October, 1854
The disabled servant of Fr Smyth (Parish Priest) is beaten and arrested for not holding a Licence.
He is later charged with assaulting the arresting policeman. Peter Lalor leads a deputation to Commissioner Rede seeking to have the Scobie case reopened. Rede agrees.

12th October, 1854
Following a Coroner’s inquest into the death of Scobie, Bentley is released due to lack of evidence. Many diggers believe that the Magistrate, John Dewes is both a friend and a business partner of Bentley.

15th October, 1855
A monster meeting is held on Bakery Hill (mainly attended by Catholics) to protest against the beating and arrest of Fr Smyth’s servant.

17th October, 1853
A meeting of up to 10,000 diggers is held near the Eureka Hotel to protest against Bentley’s acquittal. The meeting results in the burning of the Hotel. The police and military cannot settle the crowd and Commissioner Rede is pelted with eggs.

9th October, 1854
Police reinforcements arrive and a detachment of the 40th Regiment arrive a few days later.

21st October, 1854
Andrew McIntyre and Thomas Fletcher are arrested for the burning of the Eureka Hotel. A third suspect, Westerby is later arrested.
A meeting of diggers on Bakery Hill agrees to pay bail for McIntyre and Fletcher.

23rd October 1854
The diggers send a deputation to Commissioner Rede seeking to have the police involved in the arrest of Fr Smyth’s servant (Gregorious) removed
.
25th October, 1854
A meeting led by Timothy Hayes and John Manning, reports on the result of the deputation to Commissioner Rede. The meeting resolves to petition the Governor seeking a retrial of Gregorius and the removal of Commissioner Johnston from Ballarat.

27th October, 1854
A detailed plan of defence for the Ballarat Government Camp is developed and further military reinforcements arrive from Melbourne.

30th October, 1854
Governor Hotham establishes a Board of Enquiry into the death of James Scobie. (The Enquiry sits in Ballarat on the 2nd and the 10th November)

11th November, 1854
A public meeting on Bakery Hill results in the formal establishment of the Ballarat Reform League.

16th November, 1854
Governor Hotham instructs a Commission to enquire into conditions on the goldfields.
20th November, 1854

James Bentley, Thomas Farrell and William Hence are convicted of the manslaughter of James Scobie. The miners Westerby, Fletcher and McIntyre are convicted and sentenced to gaol terms for the burning of the Eureka Hotel.
Commissioner Rede receives information that the Government Camp will be attacked if the convicted men are not released.

27th November 1854
A deputation from the Ballarat reform League including Humffray, Black and Kennedy, meet with Governor Hotham, Attorney General Stawell and Colonial Secretary Foster to demand the release of the three prisoners. (Westerby, Fletcher and McIntyre). Hotham does not believe the diggers have the right to
“demand anything”
Father Smyth informs Commissioner Rede in secret that the Camp is in danger of attack.

28th November, 1854
A detachment of the 12th Regiment arrives in Ballarat as reinforcements. As they pass the Irish section of the Eureka Lead there is some digger agitation. A drummer boy, several of the military and civilian transport drivers are wounded.

29th November,1854
A monster meeting is held on Bakery Hill attended by more than 10.000 diggers. The deputation of diggers report on the outcome of their meeting with Governor Hotham. The Flag of the Southern Cross is flown for the first time. A number of diggers burn their Licences.

30th November, 1854
A Licence hunt occurs in the morning at the order of Commissioner Rede. The diggers refuse to show their Licences and pelt the troopers with rocks as they enter the diggings. Rede reads the Riot Act and troops fire a volley over the diggers heads. Approximately six diggers are arrested and taken to the Government Camp.
In the afternoon work is suspended on the Eureka Lead. Another meeting is held on Bakery Hill and Peter Lalor becomes leader of the diggers and calls for volunteers. Hundreds of volunteers swear an oath to defend their rights and liberties under the Flag of the Southern Cross. A number of diggers move to the Eureka Lead and erect a barricade.
The Stockade is strengthened with the arrival from Creswick’s Creek of 300-400 volunteers. The arrival of this group who require to be armed, fed and housed places great strain on the resources of those at the Stockade.
Major General Sir Robert Nickle leaves Melbourne for Ballarat with 800 men.
Raffaello Carboni, George Black and Father Smyth meet with Commissioner Rede to present a peace proposal. Rede rejects the deputations request.

2nd December, 1854
Father Smyth tries to persuade Catholics to lay down their arms and attend mass the next day.

3rd December, 1854
In the early hours of Sunday morning led by Captain Thomas, a well armed contingent of more than 296 soldiers and police proceed to the Eureka Lead to attack the Eureka Stockade.
At dawn the Stockade is attacked and a brief battle follows. Twenty two diggers and seven military are officially listed as being killed. Many others are wounded. Approximately 120 diggers are arrested and marched to the Government Camp.

4th December, 1854
Martial Law is proclaimed in Ballarat.
Henry Seekamp, the editor of the Ballarat Times is arrested in his office and charged with seditious libel.

5th December, 1854
Major General Nickle arrives in Ballarat.
A public meeting is held in Melbourne in support of the Government’s action at Ballarat. The crowd however condemn the Government’s action against the diggers and the meeting is quickly closed.

6th December, 1854
A group of 13 prisoners is charged with treason.
A meeting of approximately 6000 Melbourne residents congregate around St.Paul’s Cathedral to condemn the actions taken by the Government and the administrators in Ballarat.

14th December, 1854
The Gold Fields Commission sits for the first time. The first Ballarat sitting of the Gold Fields Commission is held at Bath’s Hotel on the 18th December, 1854.

8th January, 1855
The members of the Gold Fields Commission meet with Governor Hotham and recommend that the Gold Licence be abolished.

10th January, 1855
Members of the Gold Fields Commission recommend to Governor Hotham that a general amnesty for all those connected with the Stockade uprising be declared. He refuses their request
.
23rd January, 1855
Henry Seekamp is tried and found guilty of seditious libel. On the 26th March, 1855 he was sent to prison for a term of 6 months.

February-March, 1855
The 13 Stockaders excluding Thomas Dignum are tried and found not guilty of treason. The charge against Dignum is withdrawn.

March 27th, 1855
The final report of the Gold Fields Commission is presented to Governor Hotham. The report advocates that: the Gold Licence be replaced by an export duty on gold, the introduction of a miners right which would give the franchise to the holder and the abolition of the Gold Commission. These recommendations were subsequently implemented.

November 10th, 1855.
Peter Lalor and John Basson Hummfray are elected to the Legislative Council.

December 31st, 1855
Governor Hotham dies in Melbourne.

REFERENCE:
Eureka from the Official Records – McFarlane (Public Records Office, Melbourne 1995)

:eureka: :eureka:

:eureka:

Really did your homework on that one, well done,
Steve

Re posted with kind permission from Trevorpicket on kimbuktoo.

Pete

But ya have to ask yourself, did it really change anything. It did back then, but times change and we are back to square one again.

At least we till have the protection of a Miner's Right Cliff.

Pete

Robert

Once upon a time I got banned from a forum for speaking my mind about the Miners Right but here I know I can't get banned so here it comes.
Miners Right ? what f***in Right. It is a piece of paper that is gradually becoming worthless in WA, I might not see it in my time but the time is coming.
Thank God (if there is one) for APLA who continues the fight, coz if the government, DEC/greenie treehuggers, DRD&L and PGA get their way, you will only be allowed to swing a detector in your own backyard.
I've had conversations with people/experts from DRD&L and the PGA, soon as you mention the Miners Right, you get a lecture about what they want, not the right the current miners right gives you.
There's a lot I don't know as I don't profess to being an expert on anything and I'm sure there is a lot that is hidden from the general public about what is instore for the humble detectorist.
One more thing, the type of camera's that hunters attach to trees are being used to spy on us.

Here's a few interesting articles from APLA's Datum Post. It's interesting stuff and I hope APLA don't jump on me for reposting it here.

APLA Datum Post 2010 summer Edition

The Pastoral & Graziers Association have proposed another code of conduct. A large proportion of this proposed code outlines requirements that are already imposed on the mining industry by the Mining Act. We don’t see the need to create a document that duplicates that. As stated the land leased for pastoral purposes remains the property of the Crown and is therefore available for multiple land use. The Mining Act clearly states what our obligations are with regards to P r o s p e c t i n g ,Exploration and Mining, for this reason APLA will not endorse this Code of Conduct as it contains requirements that go outside of what is required by the Mining Act.

Overall it became apparent that the Dept of Environment & Conservation just wanted everyone to endorse their management policy which is “Trust Us”, and we’ll take care of it. All other stakeholders were against this policy and wanted to discuss land usage, tenure and impacts to stakeholders. Once again DEC said it was too early, it’s only a management plan and we need to assess the area before deciding this.
So we asked to include recommendations to their Minister, which they said it was not part of the process and did not want to. It was argued that the stakeholders needed to be part of the strategy long term and we would not endorse a “give it to DEC” policy without recommendations.



NOVEMBER 2010 Edition

Important Miners Right changes are pending

The following changes will soon be included in a General
Amendment Bill
To provide for:
(a) permanent preservation of all “lifetime” Miner’s Rights
Provided personal details are submitted within 12 months,
(b) the “automatic” cancellation of Miner’s Rights if above details are not submitted,
(c) a 5 year (renewable) term of Miner’s Rights (must be renewed before expiry),
(d) Miner’s Right holder must notify of any change in mailing address,
(e) impose appropriate penalties for breaches of provisions under section 20,
(f) the penalties being limited to suspension of Miner’s Right and/or fines.

SUMMER 2011 Edition

DEC STATION ACCESS
There has been some confusion as to access rights of the prospector by DEC on the acquired pastoral stations. Some representatives have verbally told prospectors they cannot camp
or prospect. This is incorrect and the Miners Right is valid. APLA ask members to report such instances to us so that we can take this up with the DEC.




Pastoralists seek access fees

The Association of Mining and Exploration Companies has raised a serious concern at
MILC. It appears some pastoralists have been seeking "up front' fees for access to
pastoral leases.
This is an issue that should be of real concern to APLA as well. With Mining Act
amendments pending which will change the way miners rights operate in WA. It is time the
DMP honoured its obligations to amend the Act to ensure it is an offence for anyone to
hinder the holder of a miner's right who is carrying out lawful activities. This obligation
formed an essential part of negotiations over the miner's right changes.
If this amendment is not forthcoming I believe it is APLA's responsibility to seek a delay to
the amendments until the issue is addressed.
The pastoral industry has not lived up to its side of the deal in this regard and the access
fee issue is an indication of what can and will happen in the future if this isn't properly
addressed.

All good points Cliff. Both APLA and our PMAV are the reason we still have Miners' Rights. Without them we cannot legally take ourt gold from the ground.
I won't be tearing mine up any time soon

Robert

Bignuggs wrote:Thank God (if there is one) for APLA who continues the fight,

I think this is clear, maybe not.

Very clear Cliff.

It's a pity that it isn't compulsory for everyone who owns a detector to be a member of either APLA or PMAV
:eureka: :eureka: :eureka: :eureka: :eureka:

Robert

agree whole heartedly.