On the third of December 1854, the diggers took a stand on the top of Bakery Hill at dawn. At 4:45pm there were only about 200 diggers left inside the Eureka Stockade.

The Eureka battle came about because the diggers were fed up and angry because they thought it was really unfair to pay a licence fee. They were also fed up with the corrupt and unfair police and they thought they were being treated badly.

The stockade was only a wooden barricade enclosing the gold fields. Inside the stockade miners took an oath on the Southern Cross flag, and the following days they collected firearms to protect the stockade.

The battle lasted for only about 15 to 20 minutes. Five soldiers were killed and 30 later died from wounds. Peter Lalor escaped, with his left arm badly injured and it was later amputated.

The immediate result of this rebellion was a public reaction against the government. Licence hunting became almost non-existent and the Victorian jury acquitted all but one of the 13 miners charged. The Royal Gold Fields Commission led to reform of the laws and they they gave the miners almost everything they wanted. The gold licence was abolished and they could buy a miners’ right costing only one pound per year. Possession of this gave the diggers a right to mine gold and vote for parliament. Lalor was elected unopposed in 1855 in to the Legislative Council and he became speaker of the House of Assembly in 1880.

I think that this event is the birth place of democracy because the miners by their actions were able to change the government laws.