John Owens

Bendigo Goldfields Petition Cover, August 1853. State Library of Victoria (MS 12440) and Condemned them to hard labor on the Public Roads of the Colony - A proceeding Your Petitioners maintain to be contrary to the spirit of the British Law which does not recognise the principle of the Subject being a Criminal because he is indebted to the State
That the impost of Thirty Shillings a Month is unjust because the successful and unsuccessful Digger are assessed in the same ratio
For these reasons and others which could be enumerated Your Petitioners pray Your Excellency to Grant the following Petition
* First. To direct that the Licence Fee be reduced to Ten Shillings a Month
* Secondly To direct that Monthly or Quarterly Licenses be issued at the option of the Applicants
* Thirdly To direct that new arrivals or invalids be allowed on registering their names at the Commissioners Office fifteen clear days residence on the Gold Fields before the License be enforced
* Fourthly To afford greater facility to Diggers and others resident on the Gold Fields who wish to engage in Agricultural Pursuits for investing their earnings in small allotments of land
* Fifthly To direct that the Penalty of Five Pounds for non-possession of License be reduced to One Pound
* Sixthly To direct that (as the Diggers and other residents on the Gold Fields of the Colony have uniformly developed a love of law and order) the sending of an Armed Force to enforce the License Tax be discontinued.
Your Petitioners would respectfully submit to Your Excellency's consideration in favour of the reduction of the License Fee that many Diggers and other residents on the Gold-fields who are debarred from taking a License under the present System would if the Tax were reduced to Ten Shillings a Month cheerfully comply with the Law so that the License Fund instead of being diminished would be increased
Your Petitioners would also remind your Excellency that a Petition is the only mode by which they can submit their wants to your Excellency's consideration as although they contribute more to the Exchequer that half the Revenue of the Colony they are the largest class of Her Majesty's Subjects in the Colony unrepresented
And your Petitioners as in duty bound will ever pray etc.

Goldfields Involvement, 1854

Fifty years ago to-day a strange and stirscene was enacted on the Bendigo gold-field. It was the culminating point to a bitter protest against the tyrannous treat-ment of the diggers by the administrators of the British Government. On the hill where All Saints' Pro-Cathedral now stands the gathering had assembled, and on that afternoon—the 21st August, 1853—every miner wore the symbol of disaffection, a piece of red ribbon. But why had these 20,000 miners risen in their angry might to make a mammoth demonstration of this character? Only the younger generation need be told. The ranks of the pioneers who took part in the red ribbon movement have been broken and sundered, but for years afterwards the story of their fight for justice was on every tongue, and their triumph, in the end, was no light thing to be forgotten in a day. With the increase of diggers, and the decrease of gold, the license fee of 30/ per month began to gall. It was resented by those who could not pay on the practical grounds of poverty, while others objected on the plea that it was an unjust tax. On every hand, almost; the tax encountered an enemy, while the method of collecting it was nothing less than barbarous. The taxgatherer and the taxpayer were brought into violent contact the one in harsh authority, the other in a spirit of stubborn rebellion. The digger did not want to escape his fair share of taxa-tion, and if the gold-laced officialdom of the hour had but reduced the tax to a moderate amount, it would have been cheerfully paid by the general body of diggers, and the aggregate revenue would have been larger. Moreover, a license was a necessity for security of tenure, as in those days a swarm of desperadoes were ready to rush in and possess themselves of a rich claim did opportunity offer. But the Government sought to press the yoke of authority so heavily on the neck of every miner that its action had an effect quite opposite to that intended. The law, in its majesty, demanded that the digger, should show his last receipt, at all hours of the day or night, and the digger replied. "I'll see you d..... first." This, at least, was the predominating spirit of the rough, and ready miners, who were led by men, the very mention of whose names appears to annihilate, time and space, and bring the old Bendigonian back into the sunshine of youth, when the battle for British liberty was fought and won.

Not only against the license fee, but against the general official administration, were the diggers incensed and it was considered the height of enjoyment to bam-boozle the police. There is the humorous as well as the serious side of pioneer life, and, notwithstanding the ominous temper of the people, the ring of loud laughter was frequently heard while a digger hunt was going on. it is remarkable, when looked at over a space of 50 years, that the tragic Eureka Stockade incident of 3rd December, 1854, was Ieft to Ballarat. It might easily have taken place, at an earlier period on Bendigo, but, no doubt, the leaders of the insurrectionary movement, did a great deal to. hold the 40,000 people constituting the gold fields population in check. The diggers were all armed, and they had the numbers. Under the circumstances, their, self-control was ad-mirable. They had already successfully fought against a step to increase the license fee to £3, and as the anti-license movement had taken a firm hold at each of the important goldfields, it was determined to resist strongly the arbitrary conduct of the Government. A monster memorial, signed by 31,000 diggers of Bendigo, Castlemaine, and McIvor, was presented to Governor Latrobe, but the reply came that no changes would be made in the existing laws. As a matter of fact, Latrobe called the diggers "grievance mongers," and threatened to let them hear the cannon roar. This, in itself, was eloquent of the demeamor of the administration.

And so it happened that just a half century ago the great meeting was held on Hospital Hill to make a demonstration, which thrilled the hearts of every miner who at-tended, swayed by the one common impulse to raise his voice in denunciation of oppres-sion and wrong. Fully 90 per cent, of that vast throng had mounted the red cockade; horses and dogs were decorated with the red symbol of liberty, and the deep undercurrent of excitement, which ever and anon rose to the surface and found vent in uproarious cheers, showed the tense nature of the position. The commissioners thought the dig-gers were going to take possession of the camp, and Governor Latrobe sent a body of soldiery and his promised cannon to the field. But the men maintained a constitutional demeanor. With a deep-throated and vociferous burst of cheering, they carried a resolution against the license system, and adopted the red political insignia by way of evincing their earnestness in the cause. Dr. Jones was in the chair, and amongst those present were. Mr. W. D. C. Denovan, who is still a citizen of Bendigo; Mr. G. E. Thomson, solicitor, who first started a restaurant, and be came the prime mover in the agitation; Captain Brown, Dr. Wall; Mr. E. N. Emmett, Mr. Ferrars (the secretary); Mr. Alfred O'Connor, and Dr. Owens, who was a prominent advocate for the men on the Ovens goldfield, and who, in conjunction with the late Mr. Angus Mackay, was one of the champions of the diggers. Others prominent in the crusade on behalf of the diggers were Captain Harrison, Mr. Robert Benson, Captain Baker, and Mr. R. R. Haverfield. It can readily be understood that the refusal on the part of the Government to abolish or reduce the fee put the climax on the public wrath, and the diggers were more determined than ever. On the 27th August, 1853, another great meeting, was held on Hospital Hill. The rain poured down in heavy showers, but it could not damp the ardor of the men, many of whom marched from White Hills, flying the red ribbon in their hats, the wild Skirl of the Scotch pipes increasing their enthusiasm. The meeting resolved that the diggers would pay only 10/, per month as the license fee, and no more Meanwhile, at Waranga the Goulburn diggings, the commissioners were foolish enough to attempt to compel the diggers to pay the old license fee, and they made a number of arrests. This was too much for the endurance of their comrades. A large body of diggers, fully-armed, marched to the gaol, demanded the instant liberation of the imprisoned men, and the terrified commissioners complied with remarkable celerity. This, incident greatly alarmed Governor Latrobe, who rushed to the Legislative Council of Victoria, proposed at once to abandon the license fee altogether, and to substitute some "other " tax. And, laughable as it, may appear, so confused did the authorities become that in a few days two proclamations, diametrically opposed to each other, were posted at the various gold fields. One set forth that the fee for the following month need not be paid, while the other stated that the diggers must pay the license fee as usual! The first was issued by Governor Latrobe, and the second by Chief Commissioner Wright, in charge of all the goldfields. Here, indeed, was a pitiable exhibition, of administrative imbecility and disorganisation. The Bendigo anti-license committee went at once, to the commissioners and asked them what course they meant to pursue. They declared that they would not attempt to collect the fee until a new law was passed. As already stated, the diggers did not want to see the fee abolished, and the committee told the authorities that they should make it 10/ per month. The sugges-tion was adopted, but inexplicable as it may seem, the addled headed Government accepted the immediate quiet and peace that set in on every goldfield as a sign of submission.

Accordingly the fee was raised to £1 per month; or £2 per quarter, or £8 per year. But they went a step further by imposing a £50 license on storekeepers, butchers, green grocers, etc., and even the humble vender of cabbages, had to pay the £50!' The diggers of Bendigo took all this quietly enough, owing principally to the fact that the slopes of White Hills were beginning to yield up their rich treasures, and a wide vista of apparent wealth was once more opening up. Later 0n however, the agitation was renewed with all the old vigor.

But it was decreed that the price of the miners' liberty was to be the shedding of human-blood, and the price was paid and the liberty dearly bought at Ballarat, when the memorable Sabbath morn attack was made on the double-breast work forming the strong-hold of the insurgents at the Eureka Stock-ade in the closing days of 1854. The sensational episode resulted in inquiry and a complete change in the law. Instead of the license fee, with its man-hunting incidents, the authorities granted miners' rights at £l per year to render the miner secure in his holding. Event this distant date a feeling of satisfaction is experienced at the reflection that no jury was found to convict the Eureka Stockade rioters, and they were acquitted.

See also

Beechworth

Bendigo Goldfieds Petition

Red Ribbon Rebellion

Newsworthy

In 1853 John Owens spoke to the diggers at Beechworth:

Do you know what the word representation means? Of course you do! It means that of those who by wealth, or station, or authority, are placed over you, do wrong, you have the power of compelling them to do right. At present you have no such power ... This should not be.

Further Reading

Corfield, J., Wickham, D., & Gervasoni, C. The Eureka Encyclopaedia, Ballarat Heritage Services, 2004.

External links

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Caption, Reference.