Rebellion at Eureka

Today we went to the Eureka Centre the site of the diggers stockade, where on Sunday the 3rd of December 1854 approx 280 well armed soldiers and police troopers launched a dawn surprise attack on the 150 diggers inside the barricade. The grave sites at the old Ballarat cemetery lists and names 22 diggers and 6 troopers killed.
About 200m from the exhibition centre on a rise, is the memorial marking the spot, erected in 1929 and surrounded by 4 x 1861 cannons. We spent most of the morning at the centre and even got a look at a replica of the Eureka flag and saw firsthand how big it really was. After a coffee and another quick look through we drove to the other side of town to the old Ballarat cemetery where the mass graves of the diggers and troopers are. The sites are 100m apart, and fly their respective flags - Southern Cross for the diggers and the Union Jack for the troopers.
At the cemetery I wondered if they needed to have died and the answer is no they didn't. But for the criminal tax imposed on the diggers by a cash strapped and corrupt administration, but for the injustice over the killing of Scotty Scobie at the Eureka Hotel, but for the rough brutal treatment by the soldiers and police, the rebellion wouldn't have happened and democracy would have arrived in due course.
We have seen and visited a lot of the history of the gold town Ballarat, completed the Eureka story and understand the why where and who. It's been a great experience, one that Australians (and Kiwis) should visit, because a senior staff at the exhibition (holding the other end of the flag) told us that he believed the 40th Foot regiment involved in the attack on the stockade were eventually reassigned to NZ, and this is what I found in the Regiment's history

"The 40th was to garrison Melbourne and all the major gold towns in Victoria. The most notable incident of their stay being the Eureka Stockade incident on the 3rd December 1854, where the 40th and the 12th regiments with local police attacked a stockade manned by armed miners. The 40th lost two dead, including Captain H.C. Wise, and about six wounded.
The regiment left Australia in 1860 for New Zealand for the Maori War. They returned to England in 1866, and after various postings they went to Ireland untill 1872, when once again the 40th was posted to India".

Sovereign Hill Goldfield

Amazing place. The reconstruction of the period around 1854 is quite spooky. We spend most of the day there, visiting the boiler room which supplies steam power to the blacksmiths,other metal workers and the gold stampers. We watched the stamper batteries pounding quartz and washing out the gold, which was purified by the local blacksmith into a small ingot valued at $120,000. There is so much to see there. After lunch we crossed the road to the Gold Museum and saw replica nuggets that boggle the mind, some of them found as recent as 2003. Another amazing exhibition.
At 9pm we went back to Sovereign Hill and saw the "Blood on the Southern Cross" show which was brilliantly done. Started with a cinematic intro, then we piled into open sided transporters which took us to the top of the hill and down the other side to a hotel which opened up onto a hillside stage (2-3 acres), recreating the Eureka stockade of 1854 where the diggers rebelled over the licence fees and other injustices from the corrupt government of the time. It was done with lights sound and fire, down to the wagon ablaze that trundled through the middle of the set at one part. There were no actors, instead parts of the hillside lit up, tents, the pub etc, voiced by the commentator and the characters involved. 22 diggers and up to 8 soldiers perished in the storming of the stockade which lasted 15 minutes. The rebellion marked the beginning of the end of colonial British rule and the beginning of democracy in Australia. The diggers flag, the Southern Cross, is kept in the Ballarat Art Museum. When that part was over (about 3/4 of an hour) we hopped back in the transporters and returned to a main street hotel where the leader of the rebellion in period clothes (real person) spoke to us from the balcony and ended the show. It's a must see if you ever pass through Ballarat. The correct Aborigine name is "Balla Arat" or meeting place.

Tuesday 15 Dec
Went to the Ballarat Art Museum this morning and saw the original diggers flag - it's a lot bigger than we thought - tomorrow we go to the Eureka rebellion site.
Tonight we went out to a local diner and had dinner. Plain and very tasty - chicken in pyjamas and fush & chups - cleaned it all up and came back to the van for pudding, strawbs frozen yoghurt and Bula cream.
Just before dark at least 50 rabbits came out into the paddock next door to munch on the short grass - the place is lousy with them.
Ballarat is approx the same size as Bendigo, ie pop 100,000 people, 1,000,000 bunnies

Top and bottom photos: Original Southern Cross flag; the Ballarat Art Museum where it is on display.

Ballarat, gold town

Well they all are around here, Bendigo, Daylesford, Ballarat where the miners revolted over licence fee increases at the Eureka (mine) stockade. After leaving Bendigo this morning we climbed into the central highlands, passing through the distinctively unique town of Daylesford with its many handicraft and botique shops. More used to the flat land around the northern Murray riverina, it was a change to be in amongst the hills again. The caravan park we are in on the Western highway is not as nice as the one we left, but it is certainly a lot less pricey than the two BIG4 Caravan Park alternatives here. Road noise is almost a non event, but neighbour noise from the morons in a nearby cabin, whose cretin existence for this drugged drunken and deaf duo, is saturation drinking and saturation music from their car stereo. Let's hope it's only for the weekend - if they last that long.
Went into Ballarat central after we got set up, it's only 5 mins away, and walked through the Bridge Mall and little side malls in this very pretty town. Picked up some fairy Christmas lights from Sams, along with some treats and an unusual looking 4-egg poacher, a second choice to the helicopter I wanted, but that's another story.
It's been a cold day, at one stage we even had the heater on for a while. Daylesford was very chilly and so we didn't hang around there for too long.
Photos: Ballarat Mall, being stalked by a pig in chilly Daylesford

Golden Square, Deborah Triangle, update

These are the names of two prominent gold mining areas (quartz) in Bendigo, now tourist spots and very interesting. Everything is in place, even the underground bit where you can spend an hour 60 metres below ground (just call me "claustro"). We didn't descend, but we did spend a while looking around the processing plant and even panned for the yella. Even with my vast experience of panning for alluvial gold on the west coast (NZ), only Chris got a flake in her pan (flash in the pan I calls it). So, $8 richer, we left as a thunderstorm rolled in.
This morning we went out to Lake Eppadock, it was cool and windy. I hooked a small trout right at my feet and it was so unexpected, it got away. From there we drove south to a quaint little town called Heathcote, had nice coffee and sweet cakes at a cafe-cum-antiques shop and returned to Bendigo via the Deborah Mine.
Tomorrow we start packing up ready for departure to Ballarat on Saturday morning.
Hello to Olivia and Jamie, talk/see you soon on Skype.

p.s. change to travel plan: After Ballarat we are now cutting across the top of Melbourne to Sale (camp overnight) and then on to Lake Jindabyne NSW before parking up in Queanbeyan ACT for Christmas and New Year.

A day in Bendigo

Rain

People around here in Bendigo are jumping for joy. 5mm plus has fallen overnight and this morning. Meanwhile in north and west NSW extreme bushfire conditions exist. Was going into the CBD today to have a look at the shops and get some photos but will have to leave that until tomorrow. We also want to visit the Chinese Museum in town, this is about the gold rush of the late 1800's in Bendigo. In the meantime it's a stay inside day to wrap Xmas presents and write cards.

Yesterday we drove up to Echuca and spent most of the day there. Went down to the wharf area and watched the paddlesteamers moving up and down the river. Walked up the main street and poked around in the little botique shops. There is a lovely chocolate shop there where we picked out some treats like rocky road, choc liquorice etc, but when we left, forgot to go back and get them !!. Had lunch at the Beechworth Bakery, upstairs overloooking the Campaspe river which runs into the Murray at Echuca.

HAPPY BIRTHDAYS to Olivia 2nd Dec, Rosie on the 6th, Helen W on the 10th, Harry Knoppers on the 13th, Lily Healy Sanctuary Gardens 5th birthday on the 13th. Lily & Maisie we remember you bringing us cupcakes at the gardens when you were TINY !.

Photos from the top: Beechworth Bakery Echuca overlooking Campaspe river, Paddlesteamers on the Murray, Chris in the pool at the caravan park Bendigo, Kennington Reservoir Bendigo.