Background to the petition
It is believed the first major discovery of gold in Victoria was in early August 1851 at Buninyong, near Ballarat. Two months later it was discovered at Bendigo. By mid-1853 around 60,000 diggers and their families were on the Victorian goldfields - nearly 23,000 of these were at Bendigo. In June 1853 an anti-gold licence association was formed at Bendigo to give voice to the diggers' many grievances about their conditions. Led by GE Thomson, Dr Jones and an Irish-born American, 'Captain' Edward Brown, the association focused its attention on the 30 shillings monthly licence fee miners were required to pay to the government.
Drawing up the petition
These three men drew up a petition outlining the diggers' grievances and calling for a reduced licence fee, improved law and order, the right to vote and the right to buy land. The petition was signed by diggers at Bendigo, Ballarat, Castlemaine, McIvor (Heathcote), Mount Alexander (Harcourt) and other diggings.
The petition was brought to Melbourne and presented to Lieutenant-Governor Charles Joseph La Trobe on the 1 August 1853. Most of its demands, including the reduction in the licence fee, were rejected. Eventually the diggers' dissatisfaction erupted, culminating in the Eureka uprising at Ballarat on 3 December 1854. |
