Ghost Mine Case Notes

Mystery at Ghost Mine an Ace Detectives Mystery Adventure

The story of the miners at the Eureka Stockade

Southern Cross flag from Eureka stockadeThe Eureka Oath, spoken on 30th November 1854:
“We swear by the Southern Cross to stand truly by each other and defend our rights and liberties.”

The blue and white Eureka flag flies outside the Stockade center in Ballarat and can be seen for miles. This flag is also called the Southern Cross, and is a symbol of protest by the miners on the Ballarat goldfields against the British government.

The story of the rebellion

In 1854, miners on the gold fields at Ballarat staged a rebellion against the British government. Australia was a British colony then and the miners had to buy a licence before they were allowed to dig for gold. The licence cost 30 shillings a month, payable every month, whether they found gold or not. Miners had to carry their licences with them at all times and they were called “diggers” by the authorities.

A Commissioner and his police-inspector assistant ran each gold field. The inspector supervised three types of policemen – mounted police, foot police and Aboriginal police. In 1851 at the start of the gold rush, the British government had less than 50 soldiers and only a few police in Victoria. They had to recruit more very quickly, but many of the men they chose were ex convicts or prison guards. Not the best recruits.

The police were kept busy checking mining licences and sorting out trouble on the gold fields. They didn’t have time, and weren’t trained properly, to keep order in the towns and countryside. Bushrangers roamed in gangs, robbing travelers, and at the diggings there were burglaries and fights over mining claims.

Miners license to mine gold at Ballarat goldfields

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