BGM_Before the Southern Cross Rose: The Road To Eureka

What actually drove thousands of miners on the Ballarat goldfields to rise up against the colossal government in 1854? In this glittering episode of Down the Yarra, we trace the path to Australia’s most famous rebellion - the Eureka Uprising. From the gold licensee crackdowns and the corrupt officials to the death of the Scottish miner, James Scobbie and the fiery destruction of the Eureka Hotel in Ballarat, we unpack the events, key players, and the courtroom drama that followed the uprising. We examine the legacy of Eureka today - its complicated symbolism and its contested place in Australia’s national identity today. Trigger Warning: This episode contains references to state violence, executions, and colonial injustice, which may be distressing for some listeners. Listeners discretion is advised. Want more? Watch Tony Robinson’s’s Time Travels/Down Under - Marathon episode. Listen to Australian Histories Podcast - multi part series of Eureka. Next Time: We follow the flume from Yan Yean Reservoir down the Plenty River and along the Pipe Track Walk - a story of engineering, water and Naarm -!Melbourne’s thirst for growth.