Gold Rush Flashcards
What were the affects of the Gold Rush on Australia?
- Thousands of people came to Australia from England, America and China.
- Many stayed in Australia as free settlers once the rush was over.
- Increased Australia’s population and workforce
Why were miners upset?
- Had to pay for a mining licence once a month. Initially 30 shillings and double if you weren’t British.
- Licence hunts: Diggers caught without licence were fined and had their huts and equipment destroyed and sometimes were sent to jail.
- Governor Sir Charles Hothom ordered licence hunts twice a week.
- Digger was bashed to death at Eureka Hotel in Ballarat, Victoria.
Why and when was the Eureka hotel burned to the ground?
4000 angry diggers rioted to protest against police corruption on October 17 and burned the hotel to the ground
Why were licence fines doubled for non-British miners?
To discourage non-British miners from flooding Australia
Which league did the Diggers form?
The Ballarat Reform League
What did the Ballarat Reform League demand?
- Abolition of licence fees
- Parliamentary representation through voting rights for adult men
- Payment for members of Parliament
- Abolition of property requirements for members of Parliament.
What was the Eureka Stockade?
12000 diggers gathered at Eureka, where many burned their licences in protest. They appointed an Irishman, Peter Lalor, as their leader.
The diggers built a stockade at Eureka and started collecting weapons.
What was the battle of the Eureka Stockade?
Only about 150 diggers were left at the stockade when early in the morning of 3rd December, 400 armed troops marched up the stockade. The battle between the two only lasted twenty minutes. 22 miners died and 6 troops died.
What was the result of the Eureka Stockade Battle?
The diggers, although they lost the battle, achieved many of their aims;
- 13 ringleaders of the Stockade weren’t convicted
- Gold licence was replaced with the miners right, consisting of one pound a year and giving its holder the right to vote.
- Peter Lalor eventually became a member of the Victorian Government.
When did the gold rush start?
In 1848-1855
Why were the Australian’s unfriendly to the Chinese?
Because of the cultural differences
- APPEARENCE
- Language
- Religion
- Customs
- Smokes opium
- Resented them working on Sunday’s
- Feared they would take jobs
- Appalled by clothes and pigtails
- Work in left over mines
Examples of Chinese riots
The worst anti-Chinese riots were at Buckland River in Victoria in 1857.
1861 in Lambing Flag the site of the present day town of Young in New South Wales
