Difference between revisions of "Eureka Flag"

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(In the News)
Line 73: Line 73:
 
:To celebrate the Eureka spirit, all Australian workers are invited to join in the festivities in Melbourne and Ballarat from 29 :November until 7 December 2004:
 
:To celebrate the Eureka spirit, all Australian workers are invited to join in the festivities in Melbourne and Ballarat from 29 :November until 7 December 2004:
 
:Thursday 2nd December ¬ evening
 
:Thursday 2nd December ¬ evening
' A Night Under the Southern Cross' at the Eureka Compound.
+
:'A Night Under the Southern Cross' at the Eureka Compound.
 
:Friday 3rd December ¬ Dawn ceremony at Eureka Compound
 
:Friday 3rd December ¬ Dawn ceremony at Eureka Compound
 
:Mid-morning arrival of Union Train from Melbourne
 
:Mid-morning arrival of Union Train from Melbourne

Revision as of 12:48, 25 May 2014

Unknown maker (Australia), The flag of the Southern Cross (Eureka Flag), 1854, wool, cotton.
Art Gallery of Ballarat Collection. Gift of the King family, 2001

Background

The flag of the Ballarat Reform League, the Southern Cross, now more commonly known as the Eureka flag, was first flown at a Monster Meeting of around 12,000 people held on 29th November 1854 at Bakery Hill. The meeting was called to hear the results of the Ballarat Reform League's deputation to Governor Charles Hotham. The anger of the meeting when they heard of Governor Hotham's dismissal of their Charter led to a call to burn mining licences.[1]

John King was a police trooper at the storming of the Eureka Stockade. He had volunteered to 'capture' the flag, climbing the flagpole and tearing the flag from its mast to do so. The flag was then used as evidence in the Melbourne Treason Trials in early 1855. It is believed that when no-one claimed the flag after the trials it was returned to John King, who was by now a farmer having left the police force soon after the Eureka Stockade. The King family treasured the flag for over 40 years before James Oddie learnt of its survival. [2]

Making the Eureka Flag

A definitive answer to who made the Eureka Flag, is not known. The flag is made of blue wool and white cotton.

John McNeil's View

McNeil witnessed the Ballarat Reform League meeting on Bakery Hill when Peter Lalor swore the diggers oath. According to his account McNeil witnessed Robert McCandlish unbutton his coat and unfurl a light blue flag with some stars on it, but no cross. When McNeil viewed the flag at the Art Gallery of Ballarat he stated he had never seen it before.[3]

Conservation of the Eureka Flag

In December 1973 Prime Minister Gough Whitlam arrived in Ballarat to unveil the restored Eureka Flag, at which time he made a landmark speech identifying Eureka with out quest for national identity. [4]

In 2011 the Eureka Flag underwent an extensive repair and restoration undertaken by Arlab Australia, one of Australia's leading textile conservation specialists. The City of Ballarat received a permit from heritage Victoria to undertake the work, and commissioned a full assessment of the condition of the flag. The report from Artlab described the Eureka Flag as 'arguably the most important historical textile in Australia'. The key conservation work involved replacement of the old backing cloth with state of the art materials that are less prone to deterioration, replacement of the timber backing board and the construction of a new, purpose-built display case.[5]

The Eureka Flag, the King family and the Art Gallery of Ballarat

Trooper John King’s family loaned the flag to the Ballarat Fine Art Gallery (now the Art Gallery of Ballarat) in 1895,[6] at the instigation of Gallery President, James Oddie.[7]In 2001 descendants of John King formally donated the flag to the Gallery.[8]

Charles A. Doudiet, Eureka Slaughter 3rd December, 1854, watercolour, pen and ink on paper.
Courtesy Art Gallery of Ballarat, purchased by the Ballarat Fine Art Gallery with the assistance of many donors, 1996.

Original flags are a rarity - they seldom survive the battles where they have been flown or, as in the case of the Eureka flag, the many years before their significance is recognised. [9]

Isabella King, widow of John King, agreed to loan the flag to the Gallery and wrapped it and sent it by parcel post to Ballarat along with a letter:

Kingsley, Minyip,
1st October, 1895
Dear Sir, In connection with the wish of the president of the Ballarat Fine Arts and Public Gallery for the gift or loan of the flag that floated above the Eureka Stockade, I have much pleasure in offering loan of flag to the above association on condition that I may get it at any time I specify, or on demand of myself or my son, Arthur King. The main portion of the flag was torn along the rope that attached it to the staff, but there is still part of it around the rope so that I suppose it would be best to send the whole of it as it now is. You will find several holes, that were caused by bullets that were fired at my late husband in his endeavours to seize the flag at that memorable event:- Yours, &c.,
Mrs J. King (per Arthur King)[10]

The loan continued until 2001 when the descendants were approached by the Gallery Director to formally and legally gift the flag to the Gallery. Interest in Eureka and the flag had increased to a point where there were at that time a number of individuals and institutions showing interest in claiming the flag. The flag had survived 147 years due to the care of the King family and the Art Gallery of Ballarat. It was time to formalise the ownership.[11]

Replica Eureka Flag at the Ballarat Old Colonists' Club, 2013. Photography: Clare Gervasoni

In 2013 the Art Gallery of Ballarat agreed to loan the Eureka Flag to the Museum of Australian Democracy at Eureka (M.A.D.E.).

Flying the Eureka Flag from the Guardian Eureka Centenary Issue, University of Ballarat Historical Collection

In the News

During the whole of the morning several men were busily employed in erecting a stage and planting the flagstaff. This is a splendid pole of about 80 feet and straight as an arrow. This work being completed about 11 o’clock, the Southern Cross was hoisted, and its maiden appearance was a fascinating object to behold. There is no flag in Europe, or in the civilised world, half so beautiful and Bakery Hill as being the first place where the Australian ensign was first hoisted, will be recorded in the deathless and indelible pages of history. The flag is silk, blue ground with a large silver cross; no device or arms, but all exceedingly chaste and natural.[12]


Sir,-The Geelong Advertiser of the 22nd of September had inserted in its Ballarat correspondence four charges, two of which reflected severely on the character of Mr Humffray, I should not have taken any notice of those charges had not in your issue of yesterday 'Mr Amicus-sive Denovan again reiterated the same. I now feel it my moral duty to contradict those charges; however, much I may be blamed, for doing so, for as you well know Mr Editor, my motto has always been " Flat justitia elso pereat mundus" and for that simple reason I cannot allow Mr Humffray's character to be blasted innocently, or allow its opponents to obtain votes under false pretences, which otherwise would tell for Mr Humffray.
The charges to which I refer are, first:- " That Mr Humffray excited the diggers to rebellion and afterwards deserted them. The second is - "That- Mr Humffray was summoned to appear as witness against the State prisoners. "These charges are calculated to influence a great many votes ; now, on Ballarat namely, the "old remnant of the physical Force party. Few people on Ballarat are so thoroughly conversant with the circumstances out of which these charges, arose than the writer of this article.
In contradiction of the above, charges allow me to state facts and nothing but facts. It is now universally known that during the Reform League agitation were Humffray, Black, Lalor, and Vern, the two latter were stern physical force advocates, Mr Black. "Was rather undecided, sometimes voting on one side some times on the other, while Mr. Humffray always was and always has been a moral force man. The history of that melancholy affair is too well known to be repeated here, let it however, suffice, Mr Editor, that at the last moment when Lalor was organising on Bakery Hill, Mr Humffray was at his post, ready to address the the diggers. He was solicited to so by Ross and Vern, and in order to insure him a patient hearing, Ross offered him our standard, the Southern Cross, thinking that the site of our revolutionary emblem would. at least, make the person of the standard bearer inviolable; however, no sooner was the flag seen in Humffray's hands than the excited multitude wrested it from him, even threatening to murder him, unless he immediately left the ground, not could all Vern's influence prevented the perpetration of such an atrocity, and what Mr Amicus would have done under circumstances I do not know but I believed then, and do so now, that Mr Humffray was perfectly right in no ad dressing such an infuriated mob.
The second charge is still more unfounded than the first; but in order to set the matter beyond contradiction at once, allow me to ex- plain how it was that Mr Humffray's name was on the list of the crown witnesses for the state trials.
It is well known that McGill received a free pardon from the Victorian Government, not withstanding his complicity in the rebellion; the reasons for his pardon were that he was an American. Humffray, who always was friendly towards Vern, naturally thought that if one was pardoned, the other should be, also and hence he exerted himself strenuously on Vern's behalf, somach so, that he introduced in the petition on behalf of the state prisoners, a separate clause relating to Vern, and it was during the presentation of that petition, and while urging Vern's care before Sir C. Hotham that Mr Humffray betrayed such an intimate acquaintance with all minutiae of that unfortanate, rebellion; that Mr. Stawell, who was present at the audience, asked Humffray a few questions relating to Vern's case, to one of which he inadvertently replied, that he had heard so from Vern himself. Immediately on the closing the audience, Mr Humffray was summonsed as a crown witness, but do you know against whom he was to appear; Against F. Vern. This Mr. Humffray told me himself. However, Vern had to be captured first before he could be hung. Allow me, also, to-say, that this incident never caused Vern the least uneasiness, inasmuch as Humffray had proved himself his best and truest friend,"I think the strongest proof of this, is, that Mr Humffray knew Vern's retreat, came daily to see him, and performed for him all these little offices of friendship, which his unfortunate situation required, and that at a time when, he could have made £500 by betraying Vern.
This constitutes Mr Humffray's treason! What a serious offence! Surely after this Mr. Humffray will be deemed anything but a traitor. Humffray, indeed, was the rebels best and truest friend! Humffray, also, was the first man that came to the assistance of our lamented friend Ross.
These are facts, and I think sufficiently strong to contradict the above foolish reports. Believe me, Mr Editor, that no party feeling, nothing but candour induced me to write this letter.
I remain yours,
Mr Editor,
F. VERN.
Black Lead, October 2nd, 1856.
[Mr Vern, like but too many more, is rather too fond of exercising his ingenuity in guessing at the names of authors of letters. Mr Donovan had nothing to do with Amicus .-Ed Star.][13]


MEDIA RELEASE - EUREKA 150
Eureka ¬ The Spark That Fired up The Nation
Victorian Trades Hall Council supports Bracks Government announcement for Victoria's 150th Anniversary of Eureka Rebellion Celebration Events ¬ 10.30 am Wednesday 11th August 2004 at Federation Square Melbourne
Nearly 150 years ago, a defining moment in Australia's working class history occurred ¬ the Eureka Rebellion. Today, the Eureka spirit lives on, inspiring a sense of a 'fair go' in all Australian workers.
'The Eureka Rebellion goes to the core of what trade unionism is about ¬ the right to be heard; the right to oppose tyranny and oppression; to put all on the line and stand together for what you believe in', said Mr Brian Boyd, Chair of the VTHC's Eureka Rebellion 150th Anniversary Committee.
'The Eureka flag is a potent symbol for such struggles and the reason many unions identify so closely with it.'
'The union movement has no monopoly ownership of the Eureka flag. It is the people's flag, but unionists closely identify with its history and what it represents,' added Mr Boyd.
'All Australians own the Eureka flag. The Eureka flag is the icon that represents the fair, free and democratic Australia the union movement strives for.'
'We support the Bracks Labour government's initiative and announcement tomorrow to put forward an official program to celebrate the 150th Anniversary of the Eureka Stockade,' concluded Mr Boyd.
To celebrate the Eureka spirit, all Australian workers are invited to join in the festivities in Melbourne and Ballarat from 29 :November until 7 December 2004:
Thursday 2nd December ¬ evening
'A Night Under the Southern Cross' at the Eureka Compound.
Friday 3rd December ¬ Dawn ceremony at Eureka Compound
Mid-morning arrival of Union Train from Melbourne
Sat 4th December ¬
2.00pm March the route of the Diggers

Also See

Bakery Hill

Contesting the Flag, by Anne Beggs Sunter

J.B. Humffray

John King

George Morgan

Museum of Australian Democracy at Eureka (M.A.D.E.)

Charles Ross

Frederick Vern

References

  1. http://www.ballaratreformleague.org.au/eurekaflag.htm, downloaded 08 March 2013.
  2. http://www.ballaratreformleague.org.au/eurekaflag.htm, downloaded 08 March 2013.
  3. Wither, W.B., History of Ballarat and Some Ballarat Reminiscences, Ballarat Heritage Services, 1999, p238.
  4. Association [magazine of the Ballarat Fine Art Gallery Association], Winter 2011.
  5. My Ballarat, September 2010.
  6. http://www.made.org/Explore/EurekaFlag.aspx, accessed 10 August 2913.
  7. http://www.ballaratreformleague.org.au/eurekaflag.htm, downloaded 08 March 2013.
  8. http://www.made.org/Explore/EurekaFlag.aspx, accessed 10 August 2913.
  9. http://www.ballaratreformleague.org.au/eurekaflag.htm, downloaded 08 March 2013.
  10. http://www.ballaratreformleague.org.au/eurekaflag.htm, downloaded 08 March 2013.
  11. http://www.ballaratreformleague.org.au/eurekaflag.htm, downloaded 08 March 2013.
  12. Ballarat Times, 30 November 1854.
  13. Ballarat Star, 4 October 1856.

--Clare K. Gervasoni (talk) 11:44, 25 May 2014 (EST)


Citation Details: Gervasoni, Clare, ‘Eureka Flag', Eurekapedia, http://eurekapedia.org, accessed [insert date]