| Alluvial |
refers to the gold that has eroded from ore-bearing
quartz. |
| Alluvial mining |
mining shallow alluvial deposits in and around
stream beds. |
| Ballarat Reform League |
Was officially launched on the 11 November 1854
with J.B Humffray as President, Timothy Hayes as Chairman and
George Black as Secretary. The purpose of the League was to
establish political reform, these included:
1. A full and fair representation
2. Manhood suffrage
3. No property qualifications of Members of the Legislative
Council
4. Payment of Members
5. Short duration of Parliament |
| Chartists |
an alliance of radical groups in Britain in the
late 1830s and 1840s, united in their support of the Charter.
Chartists advocated universal manhood suffrage, annual Parliaments,
equal electoral districts and payment of MP's. The movement
flared up at times of crisis in the 1840s, culminating in the
open-air meetings of 1848, which provoked great nervousness
in Whitehall. Chartism was virtually extinguished as a political
force after its failure in 1848, but the ideals of the Charter
were influential in grass-roots politics for many decades. |
| Colonial Secretary /Chief Secretary |
the Colonial Secretary duties were both many and varied some
of the duties included: legislative matters, naval and military
establishments, foreign correspondence, police, gaols and
penal establishments, proclamations, commissions, and other
instruments under the Great Seal.
In the further administrative arrangements notified by the
Governor on 4 October 1859, the Colonial Secretary was referred
to as the "Colonial Secretary or Chief Secretary to the Government".
|
| Deep Lead Mining |
traces the pathways of deep reserves of gold
buried in underground rivers and streambeds. |
| Delegation |
a person or a group of people who have been officially
selected or appointed to represent others. |
| Democratic |
an egalitarian belief in equality and fraternity
for all men. |
| Deputation |
a group of men deputed to speak on behalf of a
larger group. The diggers sent a deputation to Hotham in Melbourne.
Deputations were normally only authorised to speak, to make
a point; they were not normally authorised to negotiate. |
| Deputy Adjutant General |
a regimental staff officer, who assists the colonel,
or commanding officer of a garrison or regiment, in the details
of regimental and garrison duty/ the principal staff officer
of an army, through whom the commanding general receives communications
and issues military orders |
| Gold Commissioners |
were appointed to administer the diggings. They
settled disputes, issued licences and collected licence fees. |
| Gold Licence |
in order for the government to be able to control
the diggers on the fields they imposed a mandatory fee of 30
shillings a month this was irrespective of how much gold they
found. |
| Governor |
an official appointed to govern a colony or territory.
The Governor holds power directly from the queen to manage the
affairs of the colony. |
| Governor -General |
the Queen is formally Australia's head of state
but is represented by the Governor General of the Commonwealth
and the Governors of each state. |
| Indictment |
a written charge of felony. The term's indictment
and information seem to have been interchangeable for practical
purposes at this time. |
| Inquest |
a judicial inquiry into the cause of death. |
| Insurgents |
person or persons rebelling or revolting against
an established authority ie government |
| Legislative Council |
the Victorian Legislative Council in 1854 consisted
of thirty members, twenty of whom were elected. The interests
of pastoralists were heavily represented, the Lieutenant Governor
had the authority to appoint ten members of the Legislature,
and up to four for the Executive Council. |
| Letters Patent |
a sealed document by which power and authority
is given to a person to enjoy some right, or to allow some specific
act. |
| Lieutenant Governor |
a deputy governor acting as the chief civil officer of one
of several colonies under a Governor General. At this time,
Lieutenant Governor Hotham was reporting to the Secretary
of State for the Colonies, Sir George Grey. As a nominal Head
of State at the provincial level, the Lieutenant Governor
is empowered with the responsibility of representing the Queen
in the province and serves a dual capacity: first as representative
of the Queen for all purposes of the provincial government;
and secondly, as a federal officer in discharging certain
functions on behalf of the federal government.
|
| Major General Commanding |
the senior military officer of the colony, under
the direction of Hotham. The post at the time of Eureka was
filled by Sir Robert Nickle. |
| Martial Law |
a temporary rule by military authorities, imposed
on a civilian population especially in time of war or when civil
authority has broken down |
| Miners Right |
a substitute for the Gold Licence after 1855 |
| Pike |
a long spear used as weapon -mainly by the infantry
|
| Proclamation |
a formal public statement, particularly
from the Government. |
| Prothonotary |
the principal clerk in certain courts of law. |
| Recognizance |
in legal terminology, a binding promise to do
something, such as be of good behaviour for a period, or give
evidence at such-and-such a place on such-and-such a date. |
| Republican |
a pro-independence Government |
| Resolution |
a decision by a group (such as the Reform League)
that declared the will of the group. Resolutions tended to be
more statements of feeling or policy rather than of action |
| Rider |
a clause, usually having little relevance to the
main issue, that is added to a legislative bill. An amendment
or addition to a document or record. Also called allonge. |
| Riot Act |
a British law, first passed in 1715,
which authorised magistrates and other officials to break up
"riots and tumults" of twelve or more people. When faced with
a riot magistrate was legally required to read the act which
would then indemnify the magistrate and those under his orders
from prosecution for any actions they subsequently took to break
up the riot, ie maiming and killing of rioters. Legally after
the act has been read, the magistrate was supposed to allow
an hour for the crowd to disperse. |
| Sedition |
organising or encouraging efforts to subvert
or overthrow the Government. Sedition was a much broader crime
than treason but less serious: it did not require participation
in acts of insurrection. Threatening the Government, parading
under arms or drilling under another flag could all be considered
seditious. |
| Solicitor General |
the second most senior law officer of the colony,
a post filled at the time of Eureka by Redmond Barry. He was
judge at some of the Treason Trials in early 1855. |
| Treason |
the greatest crime under British law, "a higher
offence than a felony". Treason involved levying war against
the Queen with the aim of subverting authority or forcing a
change in policy. Preparing an insurrection (i.e. drilling,
stockpiling arms and ammunition, etc.) was also included in
this. |
Glossary
