Protests and murder
The diggers were angry about the licence system and how the police treated
them. They protested and burned their licences, but the British government
didn’t listen.
In Ballarat, a man got into a fight with a digger at the Eureka hotel and the miner died. The man was charged with murder, but the charges were dropped. The diggers said he was friendly with the police. They were so angry they set fire to the hotel and burned it to the ground. Three of them were arrested and extra police were sent for. The diggers demanded a pardon for their three colleagues.
On Friday December 1st, 1854, about 10,000 diggers met to hear the Governor’s answer. He refused to pardon the 3 miners. The diggers were so angry they burned their licences again, elected leaders and built a fort called the Eureka Stockade, just outside Ballarat. Their wives used scraps of material and clothing to sew the Eureka flag – blue with a white cross and 5 stars. The design represented the Southern Cross – a star formation that can be seen in the night sky over Victoria.
Fighting at the stockade
The miners held the stockade on Friday night and all day Saturday. The
fighting continued Saturday night, and then stopped in the early hours.
Many of the diggers went home, thinking that the soldiers wouldn’t
attack again until Monday. About 150 diggers were left inside the Stockade,
and many of them went to sleep. Early on Sunday 3rd December 400 soldiers
and police attacked.
Eight hundred extra troops were also on their way from Melbourne, but they were not needed. The diggers were defeated on the Sunday. One of their leaders, Peter Lalor, was badly wounded and went into hiding. Thirteen miners were charged with treason (a crime against the government). The penalty was death by hanging if they were found guilty. But at their trial, they were acquitted and set free. Later, the licence system was changed.
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