Eureka Battle

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Eureka, Ballarat Heritage Services Picture Collection.


The Aftermath

A correspondent from the Geelong Advertiser reported in December 1854,

The first thing I saw was a number of diggers enclosed in a sort of hollow square, many of them were wounded, the blood dripping from them as they walked; some were walking lame, pricked on by the bayonets of the soldiers bringing up the rear. The soldiers were much excited, and troopers madly so, flourishing their swords, and shouting out ... The scene was awful - twos and threes gathered together, and all felt stupefied. I went ... to the barricade, the tents all around were in a blaze; ... the spectacle was so ghastly that I feel a loathing at the remembrance. They all lay in a small space with their faces upwards, looking like lead; several of them were still heaving, and at every rise of their breasts, the blood spouted out of their wounds, or just bubbled out and trickled away. ...


A correspondent from the Melbourne Herald, like others of his kind, was appalled by the slaughter and wanton destruction that abounded. A correspondent in 18 December 1854 wrote:

I was attracted by the smoke of the tents burnt by the soldiers, and there a most appalling sight presented itself. Many more are said to have been killed and wounded, but I myself saw eleven dead bodies of diggers lying within a very small space of ground, and the earth was besprinkled with blood, and covered with the smoking mass of tents recently occupied. Could the Government but have seen the awful sight presented at Ballarat on this Sabbath morning - the women in tears, mourning over their dead relations, and the blood-bespattered countenances of many men in the diggers' camp - it might have occurred to His Excellency that 'prevention is better than cure'. [1]

Casualties

The following deaths resulted from the Eureka Battle.

Diggers

James Brown, Frederick Coxhead, Alfred Crowe, John Diamond, George Donaghey, William Emmerman, Fenton, William Flower, Edward Flynn, Patrick Gittings, Samuel Green, John Hafele, Happy Jack, John Hynes, Robert Julien, Edward McGlynn, Thaddeus Moore, Thomas Mullins, Thomas O'Neill, James Powell, William Quinlan, Edward Quinn, John Robinson, Captain Ross, Tom the Blacksmith, Edward Thonen

Military

Felix Boyle, John Hall, C.R. Littlehales, Michael Roney, Henry Wise, William Webb

Onlookers

Henry Powell, Rowlands


The following casualites resulted from the Eureka Battle, but later recovered.

Diggers

Frank Hasleham, Hardie (bro of Robert), Mrs Michael Noonan, F.A Powlett, James Byrne, Patrick Callanan, Thomas Callanan, Michael Canny, Patrick Canny, Denis Dinan, Michael Hanley, Patrick Hannafin, Peter Lalor, Adolfus Lessman, Michael O'Neill, Luke Sheehan, James Symmons, James Warner

Military

Robert Adair, Brendan Hassell, William Buttwell, Henry Cottes, William French, Timothy Galvin, Bernard O'Donnell, Lt Paul, Capt Potts, Patrick Sullivan


References

  1. Melbourne Herald, 18 December 1854.