GoldFields Ballarat

Finding the gold

Discovery of gold in ballarat → huge increase of pop = serious problem for administration
-Can’t maintain law+order
-No money to pay police + soldiers
-Falling tax revenue no one in paid employment pay taxes

Solution = gold license (30 pounds), always be carried

Government on goldfields

Victoria = est senate 1851. First governor = Charles LaTrobe

Senior gov officials = on goldfields as Gold Commissioners. 1854 = Robert Rede
-issue license, guard license fee money
Sergeant = in charge of police
Police/trooper = check license, punishments for rule breaker

Intro for gold license

1854 = Latrobe intro gold license for right to dig on land

Reasons (necessary)
-encourage digger return to norm occupation, discourage mining
-pay police + millitary to keep order

Charles Hotham

Replace Latrobe
Pleasantly surprised
-" The mass of diggers here… are true-hearted, loyal, thoroughly depended upon”

Diggers = hope license revoked, but Hotham = sent by gov to fix vic financial problem → increse checks twice a week

Violence

Some conflicts between nationalities e.g chinese
-Alcohol = main cause, believe have medical benefits + give relief after arduous labour

Bad stuff abt license

License = cost more miners make, had to pay even unsuccessful.
-resentment for pay tax w/o political voice ‘taxation w/o representation”

Many miners = refuse / can’t afford to pay.

Tensions with police

Police = refer to checks as digger hunt
- punishment = beaten, tie to tree, fine cus lack of jail → tension

Tension btwn diggers + police = ex convicts → attitude that diggers = hunted by ex-convicts

Police = poor paid, income = supplemented by fines (↑ effectiveness of job) collect 50% of fines.
-fines ↑ each time caught → troopers target diggers → rich

James Scobie

7 Oct 1854 = James Scobie return home drunk, demand hotel open for another drink.

James Bently = refuse → fight = Scobie die (death significant)

→ widespread outrage cus Bently = license checker. Arrested but quickly acquitted leading to suspicion.

→ 4000 peeps protest abt corruption set Eureka hotel fire 17 October

Ballarat reform League

11 Nov diggers = protest on Bakery Hill for abolition of gold license + eligbility for voting “no taxation without representation”

29 Nov 10k people = assemble bakery hill + burn license. Under flag = swore oath “We swear by southern cross to stand by each other and fight to defend our rights”

Hotham reaction to reform + corruption

Est commission of inquiry → confirm suspicions of corruption → Bently 3 yrs hard labour

However 3 ring leader = guilty → sentenced → league = outrage → 28 nov skirmish broke out, shots fired (no kill)

Eureka Stockade

Sat = 1k diggers armed but leave as believe gov = wouldn’t attack on Sunday + temperature

Sunday 3rd December 1854 Rede = attack stockade 300 soldiers attack

6 soldiers die, 22 diggers + women killed

After Eureka

125 arrest made
13 ring leader = stand trial (not guilty)
6k citizens in Melb gather St Paul Cathedral + to protest Hotham + gov

November 1855, steps taken → democracy
-Vic new constitution = arrived, officially proclaim
-Diggers = now vote → elect Lalor

Peter Lalor

1855 = Elected for Victorian Parliament, appointed post master general + commissioner for trade
1875 = Commissioner for customs
1880 = Speaker for legislative assembly
1887 = Retire
Also won ballarat seat and south grant

In parliament = not closely attached to one faction → use own judgement + conscience

Democratic initiatives

Vic ballot 1856 = first secret ballot = stop voter intimidation + reduce corruption, bribery

1850s SA = one man one vote policy, could only vote from the area in where they live

1867 SA = trade unions registered → louder voice for workers

1870 Vic = introduce payments for parliament

Limits to democracy

Women = not include in vote 1895
Non whites = restricted to vote

Indigenous = targets of harsh laws
-Victoria = first colony to remove mixed-race children from birth parents + control where, indig live, work and marry

Urbanisation from gold

Discovery of gold → development of aus as country
→ Population boom → devel new industries to support the mining sector (Banking, transport)
→ Consumer boom, ↑ demand for manufacture goods, ↑ manufacturing in Aus

1860 = many diggers = drift away from goldfields.

Growth of a urban population

Population of colonies since 1788 = always predom urban

Free settlers = prefer city cus remind them of home

1871 = 1/4 population lived in capital cities, 1901 = increased to 1/3

Devel of Melbourne

Early 1850s = chaotic
-CBD developed in 1850 → extention beyond Elizabeth street. Build church, library, parliament house, melb uni

-invention lift = build buildings w/several stories

Living Conditions Melb (Marvelous Smellbourne)

Collingwood + Richmond = no waste removal, no drainage, no sewers, kept pigs + horses

→ streets = covered in human + animal feces, dumped in yarra river

→ diseases like typhoid + diphtheria, death rate higher than euro cities

Melbourne working conditions

Melb = generate signif wealth by contruction + manufacturing

Work condition = poor ,16 hours day, no focus on health + safety
Slow periods = shut down → unpaid breaks for worker ↓ pay

Some union of skilled labourers = won 8 hour day

Women work

Some factories = employ women + children cus cheaper (10 shillings, men = 35 shillings)

Trade unions = no interest in support women cus thought women belong as house care

1882 = female workers protested piece work + reduction rates
-Tailoress union = form + generate public sympathy → boss agree to fair pay

Women = considered intellectually inferior + less edu → reluctance in women marry

Unions + Labour party

Unions = organise industrial action to improve wage + work condition → workers believe deserve greater share of Aus wealth (socialism)

1904 = ALP form first labour job, focus on increasing pensions, public health, edu + “health industry” to provide job