"Ten Foot Ted" (wittenoom) nearly caused WA's Own Eureka Rebellion

In 1898 the government of WA thought it smart to bring in a rule limiting alluvial miners to
a maximum depth of 10ft, saying that alluvial gold was only found at shallow depths and 10ft
was more than enough.
This stirred up the blokes as at that very same moment they where digging very deep (20 - 100ft)
alluvial gold on the Ivanhoe venture at Boulder.
Things got pretty messy over this new ridiculous regulation and we are very lucky not to have had our
own Eureka rebellion style revolt in WA.

Kalgoorlie Alluvial Riots.
KALGOORLIE,
March 24th. 1898

A serious riot took place at Kalgoorlie.
Premier Forrest was assaulted on returning from the railway to Menzies, about 10,000 people being present, he had received a deputation of miners with reference to the two imprisoned men, and his answer failed to give satisfaction.
When leaving his hotel the mob rushed him, and the Premier was hit in the face and otherwise injured.
The Gold Warden, after reading the Riot Act, dispatched the police for arms. Premier Forrest was strongly guarded, and reached the train safely.

Later. His Excellency the Governor, accompanied by the Premier and a Ministerial party returned by train from the official opening of the railway to Menzies.
The event of the day was laying the foundation stone of the Exhibition.
At Coolgardie the Premier, however, arranged to receive a deputation of miners of Kalgoorlie with reference to the alluvial difficulty.
During the day immense crowds arrived from the outside districts, and 1500 came from Kanowna, 300 from Bulong and 200 from Coolgardie.

Alluvial diggers meeting



A band and banners headed the procession, and all sorts of devices were displayed.
During its progress to the hotel, for about 70 yds, the Premier was hooted on the way by the crowd.
On arriving at the hotel he proceeded to his room upstairs, when a number of diggers rushed the hotel and
attempted to force an entrance and take possession of the building, but the police frustrated this.




The Premier received a deputation of twenty diggers representing Kalgoorlie, Boulder, Bulong, Kanowna, and Coolgardie.
In the arguments which followed, the Premier treated the men with considerable courtesy, evidently being dis- posed to view the case, in their favor.
An appeal was made to him to repeal the ten feet regulation, and release the men imprisoned at once.
After listening Sir John Forrest said the men made out a better case than he originally thought they had.

Replying to the deputation, he said the men imprisoned had defied the law, and must purge their contempt and apologise.
The delegates present seconded the suggestion, and said the men persisted in stating they were obeying law and order, and if so they must obey the Court's decrees.
The Premier further said he would not be hustled into action, and that he must have the law obeyed.

Regarding the proposed amendment, he said he would consider it in Cabinet, and give an answer in a week.
The Premier evidently impressed the men, but before he had finished his speech, which was an excellent one, being firm yet favorable to the men, some police entered and asked some of the delegates to go out and pacify the crowd, which at that time was a howling mob.

Some of the delegates went out and endeavored to quieten them, The crowd, however, became turbulent; one Bulong representative said to Sir John Forrest, " Allow me to tell you your answer is most unsatisfactory, and we want your opinion on the ten feet regulation, also a definite answer to our appeal for a four men's lease."

Diggers waiting for the premier at Kalgoorlie train station



The Premier then got angry, and descended, the stairs of the hotel, intending to go to Boulder to receive a deputation, and also to visit the Lake View Consols.
When he got out of the side door, the crowd, which at this time was uncontrollable, rushed the Premier, but the police, mounted and on foot, and a number of the Ministerial party and Kalgoorlie residents, surrounded him with the view of saving him from violence.

The angry mob jostles the Premier out of Kalgoorlie



Sir John Forrest was hit on the face, and bruised on the side.
After getting away an attempt was made to return to the hotel, and he managed to get to the door, but was unable to get inside. He was then jostled and went up Forrest-street, the crowd following.
Being unable to proceed, however, an attempt was again made to reach the railway station, and after half an hour's buffeting and struggling, the police managed to reach the station, but the door was locked, as a number of diggers had got inside and taken possession of the platform. It was impossible to open it, and the Premier was jammed against the door with the Warden and a few friends behind.

The Warden, seeing that the lives of Sir John Forrest and others were in danger, read the Riot Act, and dispatched the police for arms.Three mounted constables rode the crowd down, and galloped away for muskets.

On returning with them the door was found to have been burst by the outside pressure, and after about a dozen had passed in, it was closed and barricaded again, the Warden being left outside.
He managed at last, with the assistance of friends and the police and others to reach his carriage, and the train sped out to the Boulder, away from the howling mob.
On reaching Boulder, the Premier, hearing that the rails were being pulled up, the engine steamed out to Kalgoorlie again.
After slowing up the train went on to Coolgardie, and thence to Perth.


Will the present government keep pushing us prospectors in every Australian state to limit our
prospecting rights ???
They should take a note from history's lessons
We wont take it sitting down i tell ya


Pete

And this was the "ten foot" rule. The mystery hill.