Author(s): Jill Blee

Australian Non-Fiction

On 3 December 1854, a bloody battle between gold miners, soldiers and police raged at the Eureka Lead in Ballarat. This conflict, which had been brewing for years, had momentous effects - overturning the accepted social order, bringing democracy to Victoria and establishing some fundamental Australian social ethics. 'Eureka' introduces you to the people and events that shaped this key moment in Australia's history and explains just what a difference it made. It tells of corruption, racially-oriented violence, government disdain towards the diggers, murderous pub brawls, and a disinterested governor who had to be bribed to do the job. The many consequences of the gold rush included making Melbourne the world's most expensive city and began what became the Australian Labor Movement.