Archives of the Eureka Stockade

December 1854

The Eureka Stockade, an eruption of suppressed anger on the Ballarat goldfields, and an ongoing symbol of popular protest, was something of an administrative headache for the Government of the day. Arising out of an unpopular licensing scheme, the rebellion resulted in a set of even more unpopular show trials that failed to convict any of those involved. The records that the Government kept of its dealings with the mining community of Ballarat are focussed around its attempts to impose order through prosecution - fines, arrests and trials. However, the widespread unrest turned into something of a trial of the Government's aims and methods. Eureka was the impetus for the early adoption of many democratic principles in the new Victorian Parliament.

How to use this site

This site presents around 90 documents that trace not only the events in late December 1854, but also the lead-up to and the aftermath of the battle at Eureka.

The documents have been organised into 9 "focuses" which concentrate on different aspects of the Eureka Story in detail: Hotham's narrative, State of the Goldfields, Murder of James Scobie, Burning of Bentley's Hotel, Escalating Tensions, Eureka Stockade, Perspectives, The State Trials and Aftermath.

Each of these can be viewed by clicking on the link in the Focus toolbar, located above. This toolbar is viewable at the top of each Focus page and is a good navigating tool should you 'get lost' in other links. The State of the Goldfields is the best place to start the narrative.

An alternative place to start exploring is through the various despatches Lieutenant Governor Charles Hotham wrote to the Home Secretary, Sir George Grey, in England. These provide not only a good overview of the Eureka story, but an insight into the Victorian Governments view of events at Eureka. Hotham's Narrative can be accessed by clicking on his portrait at the top right of the screen (or through the Focus toolbar).  Peter Lalor's letter provides a good contrast, for an understanding of the miners view.

It is also possible to look at various events by going to the timeline page and linking to related documents and focuses.

Other features

An interactive map shows the location of the main events in Ballarat.

You can search for the names of those involved, as well as other information, through the document library.

The top right hand side of the toolbar (above the picture of Hotham) contains links to the following:

Glossary of terminology found within the documents

Education Kit - Useful activities and questions for teachers and students

Acknowledgements

Links - to other online resources about Eureka

Site Map - a visual guide to navigating the site