Author: Warwick O’Neill
Publisher: Aurora House Publishing
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The opening quotation of Henry Lawson’s ‘Ode to Peter Lalor’ sets the tone for what is to come in this rollicking tale set in colonial Australia at the height of the gold rush in the mid nineteenth century. The themes of mateship, danger, struggle against authority and the enticement of that precious metal – gold – are all there.
The book begins in 1838 with the hero of the tale, Patrick Flanagan, being released from custody after five long years in penal servitude following transportation to Australia from Ireland for the offence of attempting to steal a bull. Patrick hooks-up with bullock drover, Tom Finnigan, and they form a successful twelve year partnership as bullockies, carting wood around the countryside.
There are excellent descriptions of the country, wildlife, the travails of being a bullocky, a meeting with some wanna-be bushrangers, a colourful portrait of a night out on the town which ends badly for Patrick after he and Tom have celebrated the end of their partnership. A villain of the tale, Halliday, appears at this point.
Next comes a sea voyage which takes Patrick to Melbourne at the start of the Victorian gold rush. The tale then turns to Patrick and his new mate, Fergus, the now former ship’s bosun, making their way to the goldfields at Ballarat. Patrick and Fergus meet some new mates en route who describe their own lives.
All the time, the writer is painting a fine picture of life in the nineteenth century and life in Victoria in particular.
Ultimately, Patrick and Fergus arrive at the goldfields just as the furore over the requirement to pay for a miner’s licence is coming to the boil. There follows the lead up to the arrival of the troops and its accompanying consternation and violence, including for Patrick. However, out of the drama, Patrick finds love in the form of Pippa.
Tom re-appears in the story, having made his way to Ballarat where the mates form a co-op and strike gold at last. However, the travails of Governor La Trobe trying to balance the interests of the propertied and powerful classes against the interests of the miners highlight the deep divisions in the Colony.
After Fergus spends a stint in goal for beating up a policeman, he and Patrick and Tom have a big night out on the town in a Melbourne which has become far more civilized since their arrival. Then back to the goldfields in time for the retirement of Governor La Trobe and the arrival of the new Governor Sir Charles Hotham in 1854 and his subsequent visit to the goldfields.
The drama accelerates with the murder of one of the pals’ friends, James Scobie. After the unsatisfying inquest following the murder, one of the leaders of the subsequent miners’ revolt, Peter Lalor, appears in the story. Patrick is engaged to spread the word of the injustice.
More rough justice follows with a corrupt Magistrate favouring the likely murderers, the owners of Bentley’s Hotel, and saying they had no cause to answer. Tempers flare amongst the miners with three thousand gathering outside Bentley’s Hotel – leading to a fiery result!
Further meetings, agitations and arrests follow until at last in response to the diggers’ petitions Hotham assembles a committee of inquiry into events.
Meanwhile preparations for Pippa and Patrick’s wedding continued. Despite some justice being obtained for James Scobie and the committee finding that the diggers’ actions had been largely justified more anger was caused when three diggers were nevertheless convicted. In the midst of this turmoil, Pippa and Patrick’s wedding day arrives followed by celebration, but, at the end, this interrupted by the arrival of a new detachment of Redcoats, bayonets fixed, moving into the Government Camp.
A meeting of the Ballarat Reform League is held at Bakery Hill where, for the first time, the Eureka Flag is seen to be flying. The news that the three imprisoned diggers would not be freed was greeted with dismay. Another historical character, Timothy Hayes, appears at this point. Peter Lalor emerges as a leader of the miners. The meeting culminates with the miners burning their licences.
A licence hunt the next day leads to a nasty confrontation leading to the reading of the Riot Act. After some brutal engagements the miners retreat to their base on Bakery Hill. Reluctantly, Peter Lalor moves to the podium to address the rapidly growing crowd of incensed miners. The call to arms and to swear an oath to the Southern Cross slimmed down the numbers to a hard core of five hundred. Lalor commands the men and they march to the Eureka. Others joined the march so there were over a thousand. The miners set about building their fortifications and drilling their men on the Eureka hill. Edward Thonen, another historical character, enters the story. Over some days more reinforcements arrive from other districts including the Independent Californian Rangers Revolver Brigade.
Trouble brews between the old mates as the miners stand starts to appear to be too much like the age-old struggle between the Irish and the English rather than a fight against an oppressive colonial administration. Two of the mates, Bill and Bert depart the Eureka stockade.
On the 3rd of December 1854 events reach their climax as the police and Redcoats storm the stockade, heavily outnumbering the remaining miners. Battle ensues. You will need to read the book to see what happens next!
This is an extremely readable yarn. The descriptions of the characters are very well-drawn, coming to life on the page, supplemented by the highly entertaining banter between them and the use of then contemporary slang expressions. Detailed descriptions of bullockies, seaboard adventures, life on the goldfields, the regular stand-offs between the miners and the police, mining, cooking meals, the development of Ballarat from a miners’ camp into a city, culminating in the stockade at Eureka make for a rich mixture. It is very apparent that the author has conducted extensive research into the history of the Eureka rebellion with many of the characters having been taken from history. Highly recommended.
