In Ballarat the diggers were angry because a man that was known to be kind to the police was charged of murder, but the case was dropped. Diggers were furious and they burnt down the hotel that the murderer owned. There were 3 arrests that day and the diggers demanded they be sent free.
On 28th November, 1854, a crowd of miners had attacked the reinforcements that were marching from Melbourne. Numerous people were injured, it was said that a drummer boy was apparently killed during the attack. On the 29th November, a meeting was held and there were a total of 12,000 miners. The Reform League had informed the diggers that there wasn’t any success of any kinds of negotiations with the authorities. In such rage and disgust, the miners had a resistance to the authorities and to burn the licenses.
In hearing the response of the miners, Rede then ordered the police to conduct a license search on November 30th. 8 defaulters were arrested, it required some help from the military resources to divide the arresting officers from the outrageous mob which had grouped up. Because of this raid, there was a change in leadership, instead of moral force there was a leader to be of physical force. Peter Lalor who was suited for this situation was elected. When he took hold of leadership, a military structure was gathered. Captains were designated and brigrades were formed. Miners who settled themselves around the flag(Eureka) had sworn to defend themselves from license searches and harassments made by the authorities.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eureka_Stockade)
This stockade sort of structure wasn’t meant to be a military stockade or barrier. Lalor said, “it was nothing more than an enclosure to keep our own men together, and was never erected with an eye to military defence”. Lalor had also thought a step ahead. If the government forces were to attack us, they were to meet up on the Gravel Pits, if they were forced to, then they’d retreat by the heights to the old Canadian Gully, there which would be their final stand.
On Sunday December 3rd at 3am, a group of 276 police and military personnel that were under the wing of Captain J.W. Thomas had approached the Eureka Stockade and a battle had commenced. The unbalanced army of miners were helplessly outclassed by the military troops. During this epic battle, Lalor was shot in the arm, he later on hid himself. Later on, his arm was amputated. There were no hesitation for killing to take place, bodies were shot apart, and tents on fire, nearby stores were burnt. There were tales of how women ran towards the injured and just threw themselves over them to stop any further massacre. This was what the Commission of Inquiry said, “a needless as well as a ruthless sacrifice of human life indiscriminate of innocent or guilty, and after all resistance had disappeared”.
(http://halfbackflanker.files.wordpress.com/2008/03/03eureka.jpg)
Lalor reported that, fourteen miners the majority were Irish had died in the stockade, and a further eight had died later on from the injuries taken. Another dozen were wounded but had recovered later on. There were 34 digger casualties of which 22 died. When it had hit 7am, Captain Pasley, who was the second in command of the British force, was disgusted by the bloodshed, had saved a group of prisoners from being killed by a bayonet. He had also threatened to shoot any police or soldiers who continued with the carnage. One hundred and fourteen diggers were marched off to the government camp, some were wounded. They were locked up in an overcrowded area. Later on moving to a barn with more space on the following Monday morning. Six Soldiers and military police were killed, part of that six a Captain had died, Captain Wise.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eureka_Stockade)
- Tuesday, 17th October 1854: At the spot where James Scobie was allegedly murdered, 5,000-10,000 diggers gathered to protest the wrongful acquittal of their prime suspect. Catherine Bentley, the owner of the Eureka Hotel, and her husband James Bentley fled for their lives as the hotel was burnt down
- Sunday, 22 October 1854: Ballarat Catholics met to protest the treatment of Father Smyth’s servant
- Monday23 October 1854: A mass meeting to protest the selective arrest of McIntyre and Fletcher for burning down Mrs. Catherine Bentley and Son’s Eureka Hotel attracted 4,000 miners and supporters of the Ballarat reform league. It was decided to form a Digger’s Right Society, to maintain their rights.
- Tuesday, 1 November 1854: 3,000 diggers met once again at Bakery Hill. They were addressed by Kennedy, Holyoake, Black and Ross. The diggers were further incensed by the arrest of another seven of their number, for the burning down of the Eureka Hotel.
- Saturday, 11 November 1854: A crowd estimated at more than 10,000 miners gathered at Bakery Hill, directly opposite the government encampment. At this meeting, the “Ballarat Reform League” was created, under the chairmanship of Chartist John Basson Humffray. Several other Reform League leaders, including Thomas Kennedy and Henry Holyoake, had ben involved with the Chartist movement in England. Many of the miners had past involvement in the Chartist movement and the social upheavals in England, Ireland, and the continental Europe during the 1840’s
Eureka Stockade 
