Who started the Eureka Stockade and why?
That morning, as the police moved through the miners’ tents, the diggers decided they had had enough, they gathered and marched to Bakery Hill. At this meeting the charismatic Irishman Peter Lalor became the leader of the protest and led the diggers to the area around Eureka.
Who was the leader of the miners in the Eureka Stockade?
Peter Lalor
Peter Lalor, (born February 5, 1827, Tinakill, Queen’s County [now County Laois], Ireland—died February 9, 1889, Melbourne, Australia), Irish-born Australian leader of the 1854 gold miners’ uprising at the Eureka Stockade in Ballarat, Victoria, the most-celebrated rebellion in Australian history; subsequently he became …
How did the Eureka Stockade start and who was involved?
On 30 November 1854 miners from the Victorian town of Ballarat, disgruntled with the way the colonial government had been administering the goldfields, swore allegiance to the Southern Cross flag at Bakery Hill and built a stockade at the nearby Eureka diggings. READ: What happens when cities prevent landlords from charging market rents?
How many miners were taken prisoner in the Eureka Stockade?
The miners planned their defence and attack carefully, but they were no match for the well-armed force they faced. When the battle was over, 125 miners were taken prisoner and many were badly wounded.
Who was the digger killed in the Eureka Stockade?
The murder of a digger named James Scobie in October 1854 and the acquittal of his alleged killers by a government board of inquiry further inflamed the situation. Demonstrations and clashes with the police followed.
Who was the leader of the Eureka miners?
The miners refused to cooperate, and burned their licences and stoned police. Several miners were seriously wounded. On 30 November, 500 miners gathered under the Eureka flag and elected Peter Lalor as their leader.