Whilst in Ballarat yesterday doing the 'Picnic' thing (the kids are on school holidays) we also called into the Historic 'Ballarat Cemetary'.
I thought some of you may like to see the graves etc of a part of Australias History including the graves and monuments of the Diggers and Troopers that fought and died in the Eureka Rebellion.
Check the dates on the Headstones. Ballarat cemetary is full of History and has an information centre and free booklets.
GENERAL
Pic 1: The beautiful entry
Pic 2: Rich & Pauper Miners
Pic 3: The Brother of Wills from 'Burke & Wills'
Pic 4: The Descriptive
EUREKA REBELLION
Pic 5: Memorial to Troopers that died in Eureka rebellion
Pic 6: Graves of Troopers from Eureka rebellion
Pic 7: Memorial to Diggers that died in Eureka rebellion
Pic 8: The segregation of the Chinese Miners graves
Great piece of history Ken, thanks for sharing that.
When I was a kid at school all they taught us was English and ancient history which is very interesting but I would have preferred to learn Australian history as well
Ballarat is full of Australian History. So much so, that they have restored the whole of Lydiard Street (the main street) back to original 1850-1860.
Note the lack of Telegraph Poles and electric wires in these recent pics! No-one is allowed to add anything modern in this street!! The Gold Mining Exchange is a sight to see!
Right now, I am readingg a fascinating book called "Wild Colonial Boys" by Frank Clune (Pacific books) It seems to be a genuine history. Packed with forgotten Australian history and folk-lore, all about those bush rangers and their exploits. They certainly were a colourful lot! I have never been to Ballarat, or even NSW, but recently I was involved in a gold mining project at Lake Cowal, and in the book he mentions all the gold rushes in that area. So Thats why they are building a gold processing plant!
very important moment in aussie history, it was kinda our 'storming of the bastille' or 'boston tea party' some regard it as the birth of our self determination, alongside the great qld shearers strike of 1891 (disturbing to see the 'tree of knowledge' deliberately poisoned this year!)
interesting to see the iconic aussie term 'digger' in use well before WW1 - it seems to apply only to military personal these days!? and lord knows I have dug a few holes in my time - guess it was replaced by the term 'battler' for non-military? a quote '... a fellow "digger," a term used by the miners to describe their lack of privilege'
great wikipedia page on it http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eureka_Stockade
I wasn't aware that the term 'Digger' wasn't used for civilians in the rest of Oz! It is a common term here for anyone that did/does prospecting or mining (professionally or hobby) so I just took it for granted.
It's probably because we are in Gold territory that the term is common. Even old fellas around here use it instead of 'mate' (especially to young people): "G'day digger".
It's hard to miss the Historic influence in Ballarat as it made the town. It is everywhere in the buildings, street Gas lights, advertising etc etc.
I wasn't aware that the term 'Digger' wasn't used for civilians in the rest of Oz! It is a common term here for anyone that did/does prospecting or mining (professionally or hobby) so I just took it for granted.
It's probably because we are in Gold territory that the term is common. Even old fellas around here use it instead of 'mate' (especially to young people): "G'day digger".
yeah I agree mate, when I was very young I thought it was a generic term of endearment, ie: 'got a smoke for an old digger' and such like was a common phrase - jokingly mimicing a begging old wino/dero, presumably a ww1 and 2 veteran down on his luck, in a park or that type of thing was maybe the idea from memory, and to elicit patriotic sympathy/empathy.
But I have rarely heard it used these days except by the likes of pollies on tv, posturing patriotically with hand on heart and a crocodile tear in their eye, regarding serving members of the armed forces in far off conflicts!?
dont know when the transition happened?
Last edited by fringe_dweller; 02-10-2006 at 03:56 PM.
Thanks for sharing your pics!
Love those old buildings.
Only last night I finished reading an old social studies book I picked up at Lifeline Bookfest called "Pioneer Home Life in Australia". A great read.
A lot of the old methods and ways are still used today in the bush.
Eg. wood stoves, kero fridges, coolgardie safes, kero lamps, damper made on campfires, camp ovens, swags, windmill pumps and the old chip heater.
It's our responsibility to teach the city kids about this living history.
Ken, I guess rural oz is the last bastion of 'australianese'? for instance, when I was an agriculture student (urrbrae) in 1980, 99% of students in the course were from rural SA, the sons and daughters of famers, pastoralists, whatever ect. (including a Kidman!) one of my mates was from somewhere remote, cant remember now, and he, completely naturally, used the word 'bonzer' or 'bonza' in nearly every second sentence - it used to blow us city kids away!
! by then ken will have discoverd 4 SN and a few comets
Thanks Ken for sharing this
- guess it was replaced by the term 'battler' for non-military? a quote '... a fellow "digger," a term used by the miners to describe their lack of privilege'
