The Euerka Stockade

The Eureka Stockade

The Eureka Stockade was the beginning of a dramatic change in Australian history. Some people say that it changed nothing, but most people believe that it influenced cultural, economic and most recognized, the political outcomes. R.M Hartwell claims ‘there was no spectacular change of direction, either in politics or economy, with the discovery of gold.’ However, after the Eureka Stockade, Australia has never been the same. It was a pivotal point in the development of Australia’s identity.

In early August 1851, Thomas Hiscock recorded the first discovery of gold in the Ballarat goldfields in Victoria, while he was searching for a lost cow! By later that year gold was found in creeks and gullies surrounding Ballarat. By the time the word had spread as far as England about the findings, a massive boom in the population had begun. By 1861 the population had grown from 77,345 in 1951 to 540,322 in only a decade! Because of the large population increase, ...