Difference between revisions of "Ballarat Reform League"

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The Ballarat Reform League was active for a brief time around October and November 1854.<ref>http://www.ballaratreformleague.org.au/, downloaded 07 March 2013.</ref>
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On Saturday, 11 November 1854 an assembly of more than 10,000 miners met at Bakery Hill the [[Ballarat Reform League]] was formed, with [[J.B Humffray]] being elected the first Chairman. Kennedy and Holyoake were also elected leaders of the Ballarat Reform League. <ref>http://www.spiritofeureka.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=52&Itemid=51, downloaded 08 March 2013.</ref>
  
A committee that was known to meet at The Star Hotel in Main Road, Ballarat, had reportedly been initially formed to organise the defence of prisoners taken for the burning of Bentley's Hotel (17th October 1854). The committee went on to discuss and formulate a Charter outlining such goals as manhood suffrage and full and fair representation.<ref>http://www.ballaratreformleague.org.au/, downloaded 07 March 2013.</ref>
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Active for a brief time around October and November 1854.<ref>http://www.ballaratreformleague.org.au/, downloaded 07 March 2013.</ref> The committee was known to meet at The Star Hotel in Main Road, Ballarat, and was though to have initially formed to organise the defence of prisoners taken for the burning of Bentley's [[Eureka Hotel]] (17th October 1854). The committee went on to discuss and formulate a Charter outlining such goals as manhood suffrage and full and fair representation.<ref>http://www.ballaratreformleague.org.au/, downloaded 07 March 2013.</ref>
  
The Ballaarat Reform League was a movement that grew out of the frustration that the diggers felt with their treatment on the goldfields.<ref>http://www.ballaratreformleague.org.au/, downloaded 07 March 2013.</ref>
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The Ballaarat Reform League was a movement that grew out of the frustration that the diggers felt with their treatment on the goldfields.<ref>http://www.ballaratreformleague.org.au/, downloaded 07 March 2013.</ref> Within a month of the official discovery of gold in Victoria in August 1851, the new Victorian government had imposed a large licence fee for the right to dig for gold. The fee was unpopular but the even greater irritant was the heavy handed, and at times corrupt, administration of the goldfields by the local officials. Eventually collecting licence fees became armed hunts.<ref>http://www.ballaratreformleague.org.au/, downloaded 07 March 2013.</ref>
  
The new Victorian government had within a month of the official discovery of gold in Victoria in August 1851, imposed a large licence fee for the right to dig for gold. The fee was unpopular but the even greater irritant was the heavy handed, and at times corrupt, administration of the goldfields by the local officials. Eventually collecting licence fees became armed hunts.<ref>http://www.ballaratreformleague.org.au/, downloaded 07 March 2013.</ref>
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In forming its goals, the Ballarat Reform League's objectives were very closely aligned to those of the British [[Chartist]] movement's objectives.
  
The feelings of the diggers is expressed in this excerpt from the Ballarat Times 28 October 1854:
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1. A full and fair representation
 
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2. Manhood suffrage
It is not fines, imprisonments, taxation and bayonets that is required to keep a people tranquil and content. It is attention to their wants and their just rights alone that will make the miners content.
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3. No property qualification of Members for the Legislative Council.
The protests against the injustice of their treatment began in Buninyong in August 1851 and as the search for gold spread across Victoria so also did the protests and the calls to the government to listen and to remedy the situation.
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4. Payment of Members
 
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5. Short duration of Parliament.
The Ballaarat Reform League was the final movement seeking to broker a peaceful deal. Its calls to the government were ignored. The brief battle at the Eureka stockade which followed was an unnecessary battle for which the government stood condemned. The peaceful goals of the Ballaarat Reform League were achieved but at the terrible cost of many lives.<ref>http://www.ballaratreformleague.org.au/, downloaded 07 March 2013.</ref>
 
  
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The feelings of the diggers is expressed in this excerpt from the Ballarat Times around two days before the Bakery Hill Monster Meeting:
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:''It is not fines, imprisonments, taxation and bayonets that is required to keep a people tranquil and content. It is attention to their wants and their just rights alone that will make the miners content.''<ref>[[Ballarat Times]], 28 October 1854</ref>
  
 
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Revision as of 20:10, 8 March 2013

On Saturday, 11 November 1854 an assembly of more than 10,000 miners met at Bakery Hill the Ballarat Reform League was formed, with J.B Humffray being elected the first Chairman. Kennedy and Holyoake were also elected leaders of the Ballarat Reform League. [1]

Active for a brief time around October and November 1854.[2] The committee was known to meet at The Star Hotel in Main Road, Ballarat, and was though to have initially formed to organise the defence of prisoners taken for the burning of Bentley's Eureka Hotel (17th October 1854). The committee went on to discuss and formulate a Charter outlining such goals as manhood suffrage and full and fair representation.[3]

The Ballaarat Reform League was a movement that grew out of the frustration that the diggers felt with their treatment on the goldfields.[4] Within a month of the official discovery of gold in Victoria in August 1851, the new Victorian government had imposed a large licence fee for the right to dig for gold. The fee was unpopular but the even greater irritant was the heavy handed, and at times corrupt, administration of the goldfields by the local officials. Eventually collecting licence fees became armed hunts.[5]

In forming its goals, the Ballarat Reform League's objectives were very closely aligned to those of the British Chartist movement's objectives.

1. A full and fair representation 2. Manhood suffrage 3. No property qualification of Members for the Legislative Council. 4. Payment of Members 5. Short duration of Parliament.

The feelings of the diggers is expressed in this excerpt from the Ballarat Times around two days before the Bakery Hill Monster Meeting:

It is not fines, imprisonments, taxation and bayonets that is required to keep a people tranquil and content. It is attention to their wants and their just rights alone that will make the miners content.[6]