Symbols of Democracy
By Shannon Spinks
The Eureka Flag
"we swear by the southern cross to stand truly by each other, and fight to defend our rights and liberties"
The Eureka Flag was first unrolled and seen in 1854 in protest against heavy-handed, unelected officialdom. Referring to the eureka flag, the proclamation was 'the Australian flag shall proudly wave, a symbol of liberty. At that time, the rising of the flag was seen by officials as a traitorous act. It remains a potent symbol of Australian nationalism and democracy still today.
Symbolism of the Eureka Flag
Three significant symbols of the Eureka flag are democracy, justice and nationalism.
Justice
Justice can be sometimes be used with the word fairness. Everyone wants every situation treated fairly, we should't be judged more harshly because of our skin colour or be paid any less because of our gender, and we shouldn't have to wait longer for a drink because of what we're wearing. Justice is about equality and fairness.
Nationalism
Nationalism is a belief that involves an individual identifying with one's nation. It involves national identity, by contrast with the related construct of patriotism which involves the personal behaviours that support a state's decisions and actions.
Democracy
Democracy is government by the people in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised directly by them or by their elected agents under a free electoral system. it is a set of ideas and principles about freedom and consists of a set of practices and procedures that are moulded through a long history. Democracy is the institutionalism of freedom.
The Eureka Flag was first unrolled and seen in 1854 in protest against heavy-handed, unelected officialdom. Referring to the eureka flag, the proclamation was 'the Australian flag shall proudly wave, a symbol of liberty. At that time, the rising of the flag was seen by officials as a traitorous act. It remains a potent symbol of Australian nationalism and democracy still today.
Symbolism of the Eureka Flag
Three significant symbols of the Eureka flag are democracy, justice and nationalism.
Justice
Justice can be sometimes be used with the word fairness. Everyone wants every situation treated fairly, we should't be judged more harshly because of our skin colour or be paid any less because of our gender, and we shouldn't have to wait longer for a drink because of what we're wearing. Justice is about equality and fairness.
Nationalism
Nationalism is a belief that involves an individual identifying with one's nation. It involves national identity, by contrast with the related construct of patriotism which involves the personal behaviours that support a state's decisions and actions.
Democracy
Democracy is government by the people in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised directly by them or by their elected agents under a free electoral system. it is a set of ideas and principles about freedom and consists of a set of practices and procedures that are moulded through a long history. Democracy is the institutionalism of freedom.
Gold Licence
Many men left their jobs to go to the goldfields and there weren't much men left to work in trades and jobs in the towns. The government made people buy a licence to mine because they wanted to limit the number of people who left their jobs to search for gold.
This system caused trouble at every goldfield. Each month miners had to pay a fee of 30 shillings to renew their licence even if they hadn't found any gold that month.
The miners had to always have their licence with them and licences were checked twice a week, every week. Ones that were caught without a licence or anyone who couldn't pay for one were locked up. With the police being so busy checking licences and collecting fees they only had little time to fight crime and keep order. The miners became more and more angry with the licence system and also about police brutality.
They held meets and protests to express their anger, but the system still didn't change.
This system caused trouble at every goldfield. Each month miners had to pay a fee of 30 shillings to renew their licence even if they hadn't found any gold that month.
The miners had to always have their licence with them and licences were checked twice a week, every week. Ones that were caught without a licence or anyone who couldn't pay for one were locked up. With the police being so busy checking licences and collecting fees they only had little time to fight crime and keep order. The miners became more and more angry with the licence system and also about police brutality.
They held meets and protests to express their anger, but the system still didn't change.
'Traps'
Miners hid from the police in 90 ft gravel pits because they didn't have a licence. They only did this when they definitely knew police were coming and searching for gold licences. When there were police around for the licence hunt shouts are heard down the mineshaft "TRAPS TRAPS BLOODY TRAPS" "The traps! Here we go again, we'll never get any mining done".
The minors called the police traps because they stopped them from gold mining. This is what trapped them. The traps (police) took the minors licences if they couldn't pay the 30 shillings or if they didn't have a licence. The minors main enemy were the police and they thought the name 'traps' suited them well.
The minors called the police traps because they stopped them from gold mining. This is what trapped them. The traps (police) took the minors licences if they couldn't pay the 30 shillings or if they didn't have a licence. The minors main enemy were the police and they thought the name 'traps' suited them well.
http://aso.gov.au/titles/features/eureka-stockade/clip3/
Link to a video of the Eureka Stockade
Link to a video of the Eureka Stockade
Bibliography
Websites
Eureka Flag, no date shown, retrieved 2014, http://www.eurekaflag.com.au
Eureka Stockade, 2001, retrieved 19th February, 2010, http://australia.gov.au/about-australia/australian-story/eureka-stockade
Rebellion: The Eureka Stockade, no date shown, retrieved May, 2014, http://www.kidcyber.com.au/topics/goldeureka.htm
Miner's License, 2014, retrieved 22 days ago, 2014, http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/miner's_lisence
Books
Symbols of Australia - Uncovering the stories behind the myths, Melissa Harper and Richard White, page 99
Eureka Flag, no date shown, retrieved 2014, http://www.eurekaflag.com.au
Eureka Stockade, 2001, retrieved 19th February, 2010, http://australia.gov.au/about-australia/australian-story/eureka-stockade
Rebellion: The Eureka Stockade, no date shown, retrieved May, 2014, http://www.kidcyber.com.au/topics/goldeureka.htm
Miner's License, 2014, retrieved 22 days ago, 2014, http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/miner's_lisence
Books
Symbols of Australia - Uncovering the stories behind the myths, Melissa Harper and Richard White, page 99