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Events/Strike or conflict · 1854

Eureka Stockade

Strike or conflict, 1854-12-03, Australia.

What happened

Ballarat miners opposed the gold licence system. On 30 November 1854 about 500 gathered under the Eureka flag and elected Peter Lalor leader. On 3 December police and troops attacked the stockade. 125 miners were taken prisoner.1,2

Why it matters

The dispute over licence fees and policing is a landmark of the Victorian goldfields.1,2

Story cards

Around the same time

  1. Paddy Hannan born

    Paddy Hannan born (date from Wikidata).3

  2. Bathurst and Ophir gold rush

    It was the first publicised Australian gold rush and prompted the Victorian discoveries.4,5

  3. Alfred Beit born

    Alfred Beit born (date from Wikidata).6

  4. Fraser River gold rush

    The rush led Britain to create the Colony of British Columbia in 1858, partly from fear of American annexation. The legislature dates this to 2 August and Parks Canada to 19 November (proclamation by Governor James Douglas).7,8,9

  5. Comstock Lode strikes

    The Comstock set the pattern for the Western mining boom town. By the mid-1870s the lode was seen as played out.10,11,12

  6. San Francisco ships US$724 million of treasure in 16 years

    Eastern ports took US$462 million, England US$168 million and China US$68 million.13,14

  7. Alluvial gold found at Pilgrim's Rest

    It began the gold rush in the eastern Transvaal.15,16

  8. Homestake Mine: inception

    Homestake Mine: inception.17

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Where next

Mines

Located inBallarat goldfieldA mine from the same area and mineral story: Ballarat goldfield.1

Events

Came out ofVictorian gold rushBallarat miners fought the gold licence system. On 3 December 1854 troops attacked the stockade.1

Places

Located inBallaratSee the nearby place: Ballarat.1

Sources

  1. Eureka Stockade (Golden Victoria, ErgoSlv) State Library Victoria
  2. Eureka Rebellion (item Q2164870), coordinate location P625 Wikidata
  3. Wikidata item Q2057649 (Paddy Hannan)
  4. Australian Mineral Facts: Gold Geoscience Australia
  5. Ophir (item Q7097979), coordinate location P625 Wikidata
  6. Wikidata item Q77802 (Alfred Beit)
  7. Fort Langley National Historic Site: History Parks Canada
  8. 1858: The Mainland of British Columbia Becomes a Crown Colony Legislative Assembly of British Columbia
  9. Fort Langley National Historic Site (item Q1282806), coordinate location P625 Wikidata
  10. Virginia City Historic District, Nevada US National Park Service
  11. The Comstock Lode (blog, 10 June 2021) US Bureau of Land Management
  12. Comstock Lode (item Q1122817), coordinate location P625 Wikidata
  13. Peabody A., Early voyages to California (treasure shipped from San Francisco 1854-1869) Library of Congress (Essex Institute Historical Collections)
  14. Wikidata item Q62 (San Francisco)
  15. Mpumalanga South African History Online
  16. Pilgrim's Rest (item Q2992348), coordinate location P625 Wikidata
  17. Wikidata item Q2351504 (Homestake Mine: inception)

From the Prospector Trails mining history dataset: each fact links to the source it was checked against. Figures are as the source gives them, in the money of their day. Not investment advice.

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Cover photos from Wikimedia Commons: Super Pit, Kalgoorlie by Kgbo, CC BY-SA 4.0.