F.W. Niven after S.D.S Huyghue
The Government Camp, Ballarat 1854: Troops Arriving from Melbourne 1854
lithograph
Collection: Ballarat Fine Art Gallery
Down with the Licence Fee!
There was widespread unrest
on all of the Victorian goldfields. As much of Victoria was crown
land, gold could not be mined without government permission and a
system of licences was introduced. Believing that many diggers
were wealthy, the Colonial government doubled the cost of
licences in early 1854 and the police intensified their
pre-occupation with ‘licence hunts’. The imposition of
a licence fee, the method of licence inspection and the
corruptness of some officials led to increasing unrest on the
Ballarat goldfields, particularly in the vicinity of Eureka.
F.W. Niven after S.D.S Huyghue
The Government Camp, Ballarat 1854: Troops
Arriving from Melbourne 1854
lithograph
Collection: Ballarat Fine Art Gallery
A number of important events occurred
in the months before the Eureka rebellion. The most dramatic
occurred on the 17th October 1854 when an angry mob rioted and
set fire to James Bentley’s Hotel. The burning of
Bentley’s reflected the diggers outrage at the corruption
and abuse of authority demonstrated by Government officials. The
arrival of more Government troops to the Ballarat goldfields in
November and the continuing provocative licence hunts further
exacerbated the diggers’ anger.
Charles A. Doudiet
Eureka Riot 17th September 1854
(1854)
watercolour
Collection: Ballarat Fine Art Gallery
On the 29th November 1854 a ‘monster meeting’ of some 12 000 Ballarat residents took place at Bakery Hill. Hastily devised as a symbol of resistance, the Eureka flag was flown for the first time at the meeting.The following day the little known Irishman and former railway engineer Peter Lalor (1827-1889) addressed the crowd. Beneath the flag he encouraged the diggers to swear an oath of allegiance;
We swear by the Southern Cross to
stand truly by each other and fight to defend our rights and
liberties
Charles A. Doudiet
Swearing allegiance to the Southern Cross
1854
watercolour
Collection: Ballarat Fine Art Gallery
The seeds of rebellion had been planted.
Last revised: March 04, 1999.
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