Echoes of Eureka and Vinegar Hill, an Independent Australia

Last year I tried starting a discussion on how to get an independent Republican Australia, and while there were some good replies I wanted to get a more expansive exploration of the subject and its consequences, and ideally a TL. While I don't think I'm up to the challenge, I'm still rather new to Australian history, I was hoping others would help me or take up the challenge themselves to create this result.

The main idea, as it usually is in these scenarios, was to start with the Eureka Stockade. This seems obvious enough, being a notable (for Australian history) revolt against the system and became a symbol of the Republican movement in the country. But many have criticized the idea that the Eureka Revolt could lead to Australia breaking from Britain primarily on the grounds that it was just a miner's revolt over licenses. However, did not the American Revolution start with a tax protest and a government crackdown that killed a handful of people? What's most important is not the diggers' reason for rioting, but the consequences of the revolt itself. OTL was already pretty brutal enough to buy the diggers a hell of a lot of sympathy, but it could've gotten even worse.

Let's start at the beginning. The 1850's saw a big gold rush in the province of Victoria, and this brought miners from all over, not just Australia but from Europe, America, even China. People from all walks of life worked together digging in the hope of finding enough gold to eke out a comfortable living. But the British tried to regulate the mining by forcing the diggers to buy licenses, 30 shillings I think, regardless of whether they found anything. This was obviously quite unpopular, and the endemic corruption of local police didn't help. Things really came to a head when a Scottish miner was murdered and the one suspected of the deed found not guilty. A riot eventually started, and the police arrested 3 people who possibly weren't even involved. Eventually the local diggers got together and founded the Ballarat Reform League. This of course led to the famous Eureka Stockade, where Peter Lalor, who had been chosen as their leader, famously had their forces pledge allegiance to the flag of the Southern Cross.

The miners were quite the rabble, but not low in number, spirit, or brains. The Eureka Stockade was not in any way a fort or even a really defensible location, it was more or less just a fenced in camp for the diggers in revolt. Peter Lalor and the other leaders were aware of this, and in the event of an attack by British soldiers and/or police, they planned to fight them at a nearby location called the Gravel Pits, then withdraw to some heights for a final stand if it came to that. The diggers themselves were organized by Lalor into military-style units with captains, and the ones who were without guns were given pikes. One of the best arrayed units was the Independent California Rangers Revolver Brigade led by James McGill, who were all armed with revolvers and Mexican knives (now called the Bowie knife), as well as the First American Rifle Brigade led by a Captain Nelson.

Now IOTL, on the night of December 2nd many of the diggers were away from the stockade and James McGill took his entire brigade of 200 men out to intercept a rumored British column coming to crush them. There was no such column however and when the British commander Rede got word that the stockade was poorly manned he sent his troops to overrun the place, which he did, and the soldiers were vicious enough to kill many of the wounded diggers before a captain told his men to stand down. Peter Lalor himself was badly wounded, but public opinion was in favor of the diggers strongly enough for them to not all be hanged.

And this is around where the initial POD could start. Let's say the British do not find out that the Eureka Stockade is practically abandoned that day and do not attack it before all the miners return. Even better, maybe they attack it just in time to be flanked by the returning California Rangers who gun many of them down before they can retreat, winning the first skirmish for the Diggers and the first victory for anti-government settlers in Australia. The British of course do not let this pass and attack as many times as they have to before the Diggers are broken and routed, and in their fury commit many acts of cruelty, from the bayoneting of the wounded and prisoners (as well as camp followers) to hanging many of the miners put on trial, singling out the Irish ones in particular who make up a plurality if not the majority of the diggers. Peter Lalor himself makes it to America along with many of the others who avoided or escaped arrest, and from there they bide their time.

Meanwhile, the authoritarian tendencies of the colonial government in Australia are not curbed despite widespread public outcry that goes beyond Ballarat or even Victoria. The stand of the Eureka miners inspires similar acts of defiance all across Australia that are often met with force as well. The aftermath of the American Civil War however leaves a large number of Irish people with extensive military experience and many of whom adopt radical views. A large number therefore join the Fenian Brotherhood, who were secretly planning on invading Canada to establish a new land for the oppressed people of Ireland. However, in light of the increasing discontent in Australia, Victoria is chosen instead, and the US government looks the other way as Irish veterans of both the Union and Confederate armies pack up their uniforms and get on the ships to Australia.

Once in Australia, the Fenians start to provoke revolts and take part in guerrilla campaigns alongside the locals, many of them Australian-born Irishmen who find themselves to be maligned to often by the colonial administration, particularly the police force, many of whom are Irish themselves. They are joined by supporting Chartists and Republicans who, while not into the Irish nationalism so much, support the idea of a Victoria free from the control of the British monarchy, and they are in turned joined by foreigners simply seeking a new chance as were the Eureka Diggers. The example of Eureka, though itself not a rebellion for independence, becomes the icon of the allied Fenians and Republicans, who adopt the flag of the Southern Cross as well as the beliefs of Peter Lalor and his compatriots. And this rebellion proceeds to spill across the entire continent, with many people from simple miners and farmers, to lawyers and politicians, and even bushrangers and aborigines, supporting the fight against a colonial government they see as thuggish, corrupt, and never representing their interests.

So, thoughts? Any of this seem remotely plausible and would anyone be interested in seeing a TL?
 
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WhiteHawk

Banned
I would love to see this. All my ancestors are in Australia by the Eureka Stockade, and its so interesting to think how they would react. I have Irish horse thieves, Establishment British, big landowners, slave traders and poor servants. Can one of them have a cameo if you do this?
 
To be honest I don't actually know enough about Australian history to get a really good TL going, at best maybe I could help with a collaboration or something. Though I have to admit I love the idea of having a Captain, or even, dare I say it, President Ned Kelly. :D
 
Well do you guys have any more detailed thoughts on the premise or what it could lead to in the future? Like how exactly things could progress from the Eureka Revolt or the Fenian Raids? What would happen to Peter Lalor? I haven't exactly prepared a big TL, I'm really just trying to brainstorm ideas and hopefully get more people interested.
 

WhiteHawk

Banned
I could see a definite crackdown by the British on the Irish across the Empire. Curfews, perhaps hostages from the Churches, restriction of Catholic worship, the sort of thing. Great outrage among all parts of the population could be caused by the import of Indians, which would inflame the racial tensions among the populace.

I actually could see Australia becoming a second South Africa, as the Irish were much, much more racist the the mostly Abolitionist British. Maybe have a mass movement of the rebels to the interior, and they form a second Australian nation outside of the east coast.
 
Last year I tried starting a discussion on how to get an independent Republican Australia, and while there were some good replies I wanted to get a more expansive exploration of the subject and its consequences, and ideally a TL. While I don't think I'm up to the challenge, I'm still rather new to Australian history, I was hoping others would help me or take up the challenge themselves to create this result.

The main idea, as it usually is in these scenarios, was to start with the Eureka Stockade. This seems obvious enough, being a notable (for Australian history) revolt against the system and became a symbol of the Republican movement in the country. But many have criticized the idea that the Eureka Revolt could lead to Australia breaking from Britain primarily on the grounds that it was just a miner's revolt over licenses. However, did not the American Revolution start with a tax protest and a government crackdown that killed a handful of people? What's most important is not the diggers' reason for rioting, but the consequences of the revolt itself. OTL was already pretty brutal enough to buy the diggers a hell of a lot of sympathy, but it could've gotten even worse.

Let's start at the beginning. The 1850's saw a big gold rush in the province of Victoria, and this brought miners from all over, not just Australia but from Europe, America, even China. People from all walks of life worked together digging in the hope of finding enough gold to eke out a comfortable living. But the British tried to regulate the mining by forcing the diggers to buy licenses, 30 shillings I think, regardless of whether they found anything. This was obviously quite unpopular, and the endemic corruption of local police didn't help. Things really came to a head when a Scottish miner was murdered and the one suspected of the deed found not guilty. A riot eventually started, and the police arrested 3 people who possibly weren't even involved. Eventually the local diggers got together and founded the Ballarat Reform League. This of course led to the famous Eureka Stockade, where Peter Lalor, who had been chosen as their leader, famously had their forces pledge allegiance to the flag of the Southern Cross.

The miners were quite the rabble, but not low in number, spirit, or brains. The Eureka Stockade was not in any way a fort or even a really defensible location, it was more or less just a fenced in camp for the diggers in revolt. Peter Lalor and the other leaders were aware of this, and in the event of an attack by British soldiers and/or police, they planned to fight them at a nearby location called the Gravel Pits, then withdraw to some heights for a final stand if it came to that. The diggers themselves were organized by Lalor into military-style units with captains, and the ones who were without guns were given pikes. One of the best arrayed units was the Independent California Rangers Revolver Brigade led by James McGill, who were all armed with revolvers and Mexican knives (now called the Bowie knife), as well as the First American Rifle Brigade led by a Captain Nelson.

Now IOTL, on the night of December 2nd many of the diggers were away from the stockade and James McGill took his entire brigade of 200 men out to intercept a rumored British column coming to crush them. There was no such column however and when the British commander Rede got word that the stockade was poorly manned he sent his troops to overrun the place, which he did, and the soldiers were vicious enough to kill many of the wounded diggers before a captain told his men to stand down. Peter Lalor himself was badly wounded, but public opinion was in favor of the diggers strongly enough for them to not all be hanged.

And this is around where the initial POD could start. Let's say the British do not find out that the Eureka Stockade is practically abandoned that day and do not attack it before all the miners return. Even better, maybe they attack it just in time to be flanked by the returning California Rangers who gun many of them down before they can retreat, winning the first skirmish for the Diggers and the first victory for anti-government settlers in Australia. The British of course do not let this pass and attack as many times as they have to before the Diggers are broken and routed, and in their fury commit many acts of cruelty, from the bayoneting of the wounded and prisoners (as well as camp followers) to hanging many of the miners put on trial, singling out the Irish ones in particular who make up a plurality if not the majority of the diggers. Peter Lalor himself makes it to America along with many of the others who avoided or escaped arrest, and from there they bide their time.

Meanwhile, the authoritarian tendencies of the colonial government in Australia are not curbed despite widespread public outcry that goes beyond Ballarat or even Victoria. The stand of the Eureka miners inspires similar acts of defiance all across Australia that are often met with force as well. The aftermath of the American Civil War however leaves a large number of Irish people with extensive military experience and many of whom adopt radical views. A large number therefore join the Fenian Brotherhood, who were secretly planning on invading Canada to establish a new land for the oppressed people of Ireland. However, in light of the increasing discontent in Australia, Victoria is chosen instead, and the US government looks the other way as Irish veterans of both the Union and Confederate armies pack up their uniforms and get on the ships to Australia.

Once in Australia, the Fenians start to provoke revolts and take part in guerrilla campaigns alongside the locals, many of them Australian-born Irishmen who find themselves to be maligned to often by the colonial administration, particularly the police force, many of whom are Irish themselves. They are joined by supporting Chartists and Republicans who, while not into the Irish nationalism so much, support the idea of a Victoria free from the control of the British monarchy, and they are in turned joined by foreigners simply seeking a new chance as were the Eureka Diggers. The example of Eureka, though itself not a rebellion for independence, becomes the icon of the allied Fenians and Republicans, who adopt the flag of the Southern Cross as well as the beliefs of Peter Lalor and his compatriots. And this rebellion proceeds to spill across the entire continent, with many people from simple miners and farmers, to lawyers and politicians, and even bushrangers and aborigines, supporting the fight against a colonial government they see as thuggish, corrupt, and never representing their interests.

So, thoughts? Any of this seem remotely plausible and would anyone be interested in seeing a TL?

Let me be honest and say that this is an idea that's intrigued me for some time now. Not too many TLs out there with a Republican Australia and I, for one, would love to see how this develops. :D

I could see a definite crackdown by the British on the Irish across the Empire. Curfews, perhaps hostages from the Churches, restriction of Catholic worship, the sort of thing. Great outrage among all parts of the population could be caused by the import of Indians, which would inflame the racial tensions among the populace.

I actually could see Australia becoming a second South Africa, as the Irish were much, much more racist the the mostly Abolitionist British. Maybe have a mass movement of the rebels to the interior, and they form a second Australian nation outside of the east coast.

That may have been true to a point, though, as far as I know, it was hardcore conservative WASPs who threw themselves behind the "White Australia" policy more than anyone else IOTL. Maybe the Irish could actually try to ally themselves with certain others for a show of anti-Royalist force ITTL? Might be a little tough to pull off, but can be done in some fashion, I would thik.
 
That may have been true to a point, though, as far as I know, it was hardcore conservative WASPs who threw themselves behind the "White Australia" policy more than anyone else IOTL. Maybe the Irish could actually try to ally themselves with certain others for a show of anti-Royalist force ITTL? Might be a little tough to pull off, but can be done in some fashion, I would thik.
While there were lots of example of racial discrimination and violence in the miners' camps, particularly against the Chinese, the Ballarat miners seem to have been particularly egalitarian and diverse, with the least incidences of such and the diggers at the Eureka Stockade included Chinese, Aboriginal, and even African-American diggers who didn't seem to have been looked down upon by their comrades.

John Joseph stands out in particular, being a black man from the US northeast (it's not known exactly which city he came from) who was noted in many recollections of the event and was one of the 13 diggers brought to trial. In fact, his not being found guilty is particularly astounding given that he was the first to be put on trial as the English probably saw him as an easy target and if they could hang just one of them it'd have been Joseph. He was a foreigner of a different race, the US Consulate did not acknowledge him at all, and in addition to being charged with High Treason against the Crown, he was also accused during the trial of killing an English officer in the battle. While his defense accused the prosecution of bigotry, the prosecutors acted like he was quite ungrateful for taking up arms against the state of Victoria which was in their minds a much more fair and benevolent place than America, though in fairness to them local courts were actually fair for their time and showed little of the bigotry and discrimination present in the US.

In any case, given the example of John Joseph, it's quite possible, in fact rather likely I think, that an independent Australia would not end up with an Apartheid-like system. At least not any more so than IOTL, the aborigines and Chinese would still suffer quite a lot of discrimination as IOTL in the 1850's they were generally worse treated than people of African descent, whether they be from the Caribbean or America. Still though, the local laws of the time generally treated people more equally than other countries under the eyes of the law at least and people didn't shy around addressing the issue of discrimination. The real problem would be a mass immigration of Fenian radicals from America, they'd probably have the most stringent views on race and all, but given the example started at Eureka I don't think we'd see a South Africa 2.0.
 

Seldrin

Banned
Looks good mate, I'd be glad to see somebody make a TL out of this, it's relatively rare to see a Eureka Stockade POD.
 

katchen

Banned
I wonder if Ned Kelly could make something of himself besides a bushranger in this TL.
There actually was a somewhat humorous ASB AH about a scientist going back in time and saving Ned Kelly from getting captured resulting in a revolution for Australia which starts out good but turns out dystopian by the present called :"Kelly Country" by A. Bertram Chandler 1985 available on Amazon from 0.01.
 
My thoughts on such time lines are that they are pretty unrealistic at that point in time for all sorts of reasons, but, if you were to do this, I think you should try and add in an external event, something that makes it very hard for Britain to respond in kind.

Some sort of more serious Crimean War?

Edit - may also pay to check how many British troops were involved in NZ at the time - should be easy enough to check, but iirc there were several thousand and 1854 was a peaceful-ish year. Some may be re-deployable, although that would take some weeks at the very least.

I wonder if they could recruit Maori loyalists? This could be interesting, as this was the same time that Responsible Government was being implemented - the first elections occurred in 1853 and the first colonial government had been in place since (mid?) 1854. The settlers were still pretty weak and I could see the Imperial Government being tempted to recruit native levies if things got really bad in Australia. I suspect some of the loyalist tribes would be keen to send young men over to serve, for guns, money and political support against the Colonial/Settler government.
 
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The idea wasn't for the 1854 Eureka Rebellion itself to totally succeed and go so far as to secede from the Empire. It was more that a longer-lasting uprising that inflicted serious casualties on the government's forces during their assault on the miners would have a rippling effect that leads to a surge in sympathy for the diggers (even moreso than IOTL which is saying a lot) and a simmering sentiment that the British colonial government is out to oppress them and take what they will, and in a few years or decades more frequent revolts and even Fenian insurrections allow Australia to break away from the Empire.
 
Oh I see. Well, that would seem like an interesting POD.

I really really like the idea of a Russian Scare having strange effects on Australian or New Zealand politics - given how frightened we were IOTL. My childhood visits to the big cities of NZ almost always ended up in me begging to be taken to the coastal defences built during the Scares, which may explain a lot.
 
If you can think up a way for Eureka to go that far though I'm all ears, as I said I don't actually know enough about Australia to make a good TL and mostly just made this thread to get some input, criticism, and altering ideas.
 
Well the Russian Scares OTL were almost entirely lacking in reality - at least in one case it can be traced to an amusing parody story written by an Auckland newspaper writer. The various colonies and NZ then spent a lot of money on building fortifications that they probably could not afford.

However this was several decades after Eureka.

If an actual Russian cruiser turned up at some point in time off the coasts during the various cold points with Russia, that could send the locals off into a tizzy of terror
 

katchen

Banned
So you really are looking at Ned Kelly becoming more than just a bushranger. You really are looking at Ned Kelly becoming a Fenian hero and rebel leader.
 
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