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| | Wiburd was inside the stockade and a participant in the Eureka battle. He was one of the Eureka veterans who attended the 50th Anniversary celebrations in 1904. He was at that time, living at Bathurst. His obituary notice appeared in the Western Times.<ref>Wickham, D., Gervasoni, C. & Phillipson, W., ''Eureka Research Directory'', Ballarat Heritage Services, 1999.</ref> | | Wiburd was inside the stockade and a participant in the Eureka battle. He was one of the Eureka veterans who attended the 50th Anniversary celebrations in 1904. He was at that time, living at Bathurst. His obituary notice appeared in the Western Times.<ref>Wickham, D., Gervasoni, C. & Phillipson, W., ''Eureka Research Directory'', Ballarat Heritage Services, 1999.</ref> |
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| − | ::EUREKA STOCKADE.
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| − | ::INTERESTING .REMINISCENCES.
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| − | ::Mr. James Wiburd, who has resided in Bathurst for upwards of half a century, gives some interesting reminis cences concerning the historical Eureka Stockade at Ballarat, in which he participated. December 4 was the anniversary of this memorable event; Mr. Wiburt was one of the participants in the uprising; therefore he speaks with first-hand knowledge. It was, he points out, the grievances of those early day miners against the au thorities for the stringent regulations under which mining was carried out that primarily gave rise to the trouble, but there was a side issue that went a good way towards precipitating the outbreak. A man named Bentley con ducted a public house about a mile from the Government camp, and it was hero that the Gold Commissioner, the official who issued licences to the miners — was in the habit of spending his Sundays. There were two brothers na med Scobie, who were diggers on the field, and at this time they were pos sessed of some valuable nuggets. One of the brothers was a very temperate man, but the other was inclined to break out on periodical drinking bouts. One day he got down to Bentley's hos telry, and the result was that he soon became beautifully drunk. His brother went to the hotel in search of him, but. he refused to leave. Bentley promis ed to look after him until he recovered. On the following morning Scobie returned to the hotel and found his brother lying dead near the entrance. His brains had been battered out, and the gold that he carried was missing from his pocket. The Commissioner held an inquiry into the tragedy, and exonerated Bentley (the publican) from all blame. This decision incensed the diggors, and they rounded up and burnt Bentley's 'pub' to the ground. As a result of the agitation, a Commission from Melbourne held a further inquiry; Mr Bentley was sentenced to three years imprisonment. Mr. Wyburd states that one of the strongest reasons for the Eureka out break was the fact that the miners were charged on license fee of £1 10s a month, which was considered to be ex cessive. In addition to this, miners who were found within two miles of the field without a licence were liable to be arrested and imprisoned for a pe riod of three months. The military authorities in Mel bourne sent up four 'seven pounder' guns, and a number of men of the 12th and 43rd Regiments, and several sailors from the men-of-war Martial law was rigidly enforced, and no lights were permitted at night. Mr. Wyburd states that one night a woman lit a candle in order to attend a sick, child, and immediately was fired upon and killed. As an outcome of the uprising, how over, the authorities recognised the grievances of the miners, and granted them certain concessions. They reduced the fee for a digger's licence from £1 10s a month, to £2 10s per annum. Their claims in other vvays were also recognised. Mr. Wyburd still retains the old fashioned rifle that he carried during the outbreak. He also has the one that was used by a comrade.<ref>Wellington Times, 17 December 1914.</ref>
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| | ==Post 1854 Experiences== | | ==Post 1854 Experiences== |
Latest revision as of 23:58, 20 September 2018
Background
James Wiburd was born in 1835 at Harrow Road, Paddington, London, England. He arrived at Port Phillip in August 1852, on board the Fanny. After employment for some time in an iron foundry he went to the Ovens diggings with a tandem team of a bullock and horse. With varying luck he visited many other diggings and was involved in the Lambing Flat and Eureka Stockade encounter. Wiburd married Elizabeth Margaret Dumbrell in the Wesleyan Church, Surrey Hills, Sydney on 26 August 1857. After his marriage in Sydney and the birth of his first two children he proceeded to Bathurst in 1861 where he and his wife had another eight children. He was a building contractor throughout his working life at Bathurst. James Wiburd was buried on 13 February, 1918 in the Methodist section of Bathurst Cemetery. es 12 February 1918 in which it stated “ … fought in the Eureka Stockade and still had the gun used in that conflict”.[1]
Goldfields Involvement, 1854
Wiburd was inside the stockade and a participant in the Eureka battle. He was one of the Eureka veterans who attended the 50th Anniversary celebrations in 1904. He was at that time, living at Bathurst. His obituary notice appeared in the Western Times.[2]
Post 1854 Experiences
Obituary
- Death of a Bathurst Pioneer.
- WAS IN EUREKA STOCKADE RIOTS.
- Mr. James Wiburd, a resident of Bathurst for 50 years, and who was one of the few survivors of the Eureka Stockade, died on Monday at the age of 87 years. Mr. Wiburd arrived in Australia at the age of 19 years, and settled in Victoria. He took part in the early gold rushes in that State, and was one of those who participated m the riots at Ballarat in December, 1854, which culminated in the attack on the Stockade. He received slight wounds in the melee.
- Up to the time of his death he had in his possession an old Win chester rifle - which he used on the historic occasion. He has left a large grown-up family, including Geo. Wiburd; at one time champion cyclist of Australia, and Carvossa Wiburd, who for many years has been in charge at Jenolan Caves.[3]
See also
Further Reading
Corfield, J.,Wickham, D., & Gervasoni, C. The Eureka Encyclopaedia, Ballarat Heritage Services, 2004.
References
- ↑ Wickham, D., Gervasoni, C. & Phillipson, W., Eureka Research Directory, Ballarat Heritage Services, 1999.
- ↑ Wickham, D., Gervasoni, C. & Phillipson, W., Eureka Research Directory, Ballarat Heritage Services, 1999.
- ↑ Mudgee Guardian and North-Western Representative, 14 February 1818.
External links
