| Synopsis: |
Italian revolutionary Raffaello Carboni reached the Ballarat goldfields in 1853 looking for adventure and wealth. Instead, he found growing unrest among the miners, who were straining against harsh and oppressive government regulations. This unrest came to a head at dawn on 3 December 1854, at the now legendary Eureka Stockade. Here, 120 angry miners revolted against police and soldiers, leaving thirty-five men dead. The courage, resistance to authority and support for democratic freedom displayed by the miners has shaped ideas of Australian nationhood ever since. Raffaello Carboni, an active participant, relates the story behind the myth. His eyewitness account, first published in 1855, vividly and accurately evokes the excitement, drama and horror of the Eureka Stockade, and its aftermath. This new edition of a classic work, supplemented with an introduction by Tom Keneally, is published to coincide with the 150th anniversary of the Eureka uprising. |