BLOOD ON THE SOUTHERN CROSS TEACHING KIT - LEVEL 5

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BLOOD ON THE SOUTHERN CROSS TEACHING KIT - LEVEL 5
HEADING 1
HEADING 2
BLOOD ON THE SOUTHERN CROSS
TEACHING
BLOOD          KIT - CROSS
      ON THE SOUTHERN
SUB HEADING
                      LEVEL 5

CONTENTS
• Information on Blood on the Southern Cross
• Links to AusVELS History, Level 5
• Suggestions for Pre-visit Activities
• Planning an Excursion to Sovereign Hill and
  Blood on the Southern Cross
• Suggested Post-visit Activities
• A Glossary of Terms
• A Bibliography of Resources
• Suggestions for an Extended Ballarat Visit
BLOOD ON THE SOUTHERN CROSS TEACHING KIT - LEVEL 5
BLOOD ON THE SOUTHERN CROSS
PRE-VISIT INFORMATION AND SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES FOR LEVEL 5

What is Blood on the Southern Cross?

Blood on the Southern Cross is a multi-million dollar sound-and-light show like nothing you’ve ever seen before!
It occurs nightly at Sovereign Hill.
This 80-minute sound-and-light spectacular retells the story of the Eureka Rebellion, a dramatic battle between
gold miners and government forces which occurred at Ballarat on 3 December, 1854.
Set under the night skies at Sovereign Hill, Blood on the Southern Cross involves almost no actors – just voices,
sound-and-light effects and an open-air set. You travel across the site on a transporter and view much of the
action from seats in the re-created Free Trade Hotel on the Eureka Diggings.
Experience the miners’ disgust at the unfair Gold Licence system and witness the dramatic burning of the
Eureka Hotel. Listen to Governor Hotham’s reasoning for a dawn attack on a band of men who were the first
to swear an oath of loyalty on Australian soil to a flag that was not British – the Eureka Flag (the Flag of the
Southern Cross).
Some say this event marks the birth of democracy in Australia.
The show operates all year, in all weather conditions. During peak times, two and sometimes three shows
are run each night. Wear suitable clothing for Ballarat’s cool evenings, and sensible shoes for walking over
uneven ground.
Bookings are essential as seating is limited to 200 per show.

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BLOOD ON THE SOUTHERN CROSS TEACHING KIT - LEVEL 5
AUSVELS LINKS

http://ausvels.vcaa.vic.edu.au/Level5?layout=1&d=H

History Level Description – Level 5
The Australian Colonies
The Level 5 curriculum provides a study of colonial Australia in the 1800s. Students look at the founding of
British colonies and the development of a colony. They learn about what life was like for different groups of
people in the colonial period. They examine significant events and people, political and economic developments,
social structures and settlement patterns.

Key Enquiry Questions
1. What do we know about the lives of people in Australia’s colonial past and how do we know?
2. How did an Australian colony develop over time and why?
3. How did colonial settlement change the environment?
4. What were the significant events and who were the significant people that shaped Australian colonies?

History / Level 5 / Historical Knowledge and Understanding / The Australian Colonies
Content Description
The impact of a significant development or event on a colony; for example, frontier conflict, the gold rushes, the
Eureka Rebellion, internal exploration, the advent of rail, the expansion of farming, drought.
Elaborations
1. Investigating an event or development and explaining its economic, social and political impact on a colony
   (for example, the consequences of frontier conflict events such as the Myall Creek Massacre; the Pinjarra
   Massacre; the impact of South Sea Islanders on sugar farming and the timber industry; the impact of the
   Eureka Rebellion on the development of democracy).
2. Creating ‘what if’ scenarios by constructing different outcomes for a key event. For example, what would
   have happened if Peter Lalor had encouraged gold miners to pay rather than resist Gold Licence fees?
   http://ausvels.vcaa.vic.edu.au/Level5?layout=1&d=H

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BLOOD ON THE SOUTHERN CROSS TEACHING KIT - LEVEL 5
BEFORE YOU VISIT

• Watch the short video from the Sovereign Hill website. http://www.sovereignhill.com.au/sound-light-show/
   This will prepare your students for what they will experience during Blood on the Southern Cross.

• Read The Night We Made the Flag, by Caroline Wilkinson. (Black Dog Books, 2008) A picture book about
  a young girl who helps women on the diggings to make the Eureka Flag.
   Classroom activities and teacher notes for this book are available at http://www.walkerbooks.com.au/
   statics/dyn/1340344612939/The-Night-We-Made-the-Flag-Teachers-Notes.pdf

• Read My Story “A Banner Bold” The Diary of Rosa Aarons, by Nadia Wheatley (Scholastic Press,
  Sydney NSW, 2000)
   This book is written as the diary of a girl on the Ballarat goldfields, before and just after the Eureka events.
   An easy read, suitable for Years 4-6.

• Research the events leading to the attack:
   o Why did people rush to Ballarat in the 1850s?
   o How did the government plan to make money from the Gold Rush?
   o Why did the government need money?
   o Why were the diggers angry?
   o Why was the murder of James (Scotty) Scobie important?
   o Why didn’t the government listen to the miners’ complaints?
   o Do governments listen to complaints today? Why?

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BLOOD ON THE SOUTHERN CROSS TEACHING KIT - LEVEL 5
BEFORE YOU VISIT

Recommended reading
Littlejohn, M. Eureka Stockade (Black Dog/Walker Books, Newtown NSW, 2013)

Useful websites
http://sovereignhilledblog.com/ The Sovereign Hill Education Blog contains excellent links and searchable
information on Eureka.
http://www.kidcyber.com.au/topics/goldeureka.htm This site is written for primary students and is easy to
understand.
http://www.sbs.com.au/gold/story.php?storyid=86 This site was produced for primary students by SBS
and contains useful information.
http://ergo.slv.vic.gov.au/explore-history/golden-victoria/impact-society/eureka-stockade This is the State
Library site produced to assist students in completing research projects. It is more useful for secondary
students.
http://prov.vic.gov.au/whats-on/exhibitions/eureka-on-trial This site contains excellent information, a very
useful timeline and links to all the relevant documents held in the Public Record Office Victoria. Some
students may find the site too academic, but others will love the access to primary sources. This site is
more useful for teachers.

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BLOOD ON THE SOUTHERN CROSS TEACHING KIT - LEVEL 5
PLAN YOUR VISIT

• Book your excursion with the Sovereign Hill Education Bookings Office. Phone 03 5337 1188 or
  03 5329 2326. The bookings staff can suggest accommodation options. The most convenient place to
  stay is ‘on-site’ at Comfort Inn Sovereign Hill, but you will need to book early as this is very popular.
• Book the education session Put Yourself in the Picture or Gold Fever. Both these sessions look at some
  of the causes and effects of the Eureka Rebellion.
• While at Sovereign Hill, allow an hour for students to try panning for real gold in the creek and to explore
  the diggings area to discover what living conditions were like on the goldfields.
• Book a Red Hill Mine tour (no extra cost) so that students can see what conditions were like working in
  a deep lead mine.
• Book a visit to the Gold Museum where students can see real gold nuggets and an excellent collection of
  original ST Gill paintings of the Ballarat goldfields. The exhibition Ballarat: Inspired by Gold will give them
  an excellent understanding of how much the gold rushes changed life in Ballarat.
• Give your students a research task to complete at Sovereign Hill. Download this flier for ideas:
  http://education.sovereignhill.com.au/media/uploads/sovehill-pdf-file/sovhillsnapshot.pdf

   The married couple’s hut, Sovereign Hill       Red Hill Gully Creek and Diggings, Sovereign Hill

• Enjoy the evening sound-and-light show Blood on the Southern Cross. Cameras and torches are not allowed
  on the show as they detract from the experience. Students just need to focus on enjoying the show and
  absorbing as much of the story as they can.

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BLOOD ON THE SOUTHERN CROSS TEACHING KIT - LEVEL 5
AFTER YOUR VISIT

Back at School
Sovereign Hill has produced a 40-minute video featuring the key moments of
the show. You can purchase this after the show or order it online. Reviewing the
DVD with your class when you return to school will help students gain a deeper
understanding of the main ideas presented during the show.
This activity should produce meaningful post-visit discussion.
http://shopping.sovereignhill.com.au/products/blood-on-the-southern-cross-dvd

Possible Student Tasks
• Develop a storyboard timeline of the major events leading up to and following the Eureka Rebellion. Explain
  why each event is important. (This is an excellent classroom activity if you chose the Put Yourself in the
  Eureka Story education session as part of your day visit to Sovereign Hill.)
• Script and film a number of TV news items sensationalising the events surrounding the Eureka Rebellion.
  Unfortunately, you are not allowed to burn down a hotel, but you may be able to use footage from the DVD!
• Develop a police file of the major characters involved in the Eureka story, explaining their backgrounds and
  their involvement.
• Design your own wanted poster for one of the rebel leaders.
• What was ‘Chartism’?
• Can you see any links between the Chartists and the men of Eureka?
  Reference: Littlejohn, M. Eureka Stockade (Black Dog/Walker Books, Newtown NSW, 2013) pages 7 & 18.
• Imagine you are living in Ballarat in December 1854. Write a letter to the newspaper entitled, ‘It did not have
  to end in violence’. Explain how you think the violence may have been avoided.
• Organise a debate on one of the following topics:
   o Eureka was the birthplace of Australian Democracy
   o Sometimes it is right to fight
   o The pen is mightier than the sword
• Write or record a personal reflection on either what you have learned from the Eureka story OR whose side
  you think you would be on. Would you have actually fought?

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BLOOD ON THE SOUTHERN CROSS TEACHING KIT - LEVEL 5
GLOSSARY OF TERMS

Treason               Any action seen as a threat to a government.
Democracy             System of government where everyone is regarded as equal and politicians are chosen
                      by free elections.
Absolute Monarchy     A system of government where an hereditary king or queen holds absolute power.
Elite                 A select few who enjoy all the benefits of money and power and are considered the
                      highest class in society.
Chartist              Someone living in Great Britain who supported the reforms listed in the 1838 ‘People’s
                      Charter’. Many Chartists migrated to the goldfields.
Van Diemen’s Land     Re-named Tasmania in 1856.
Squatter              Someone who occupied large areas of Crown land in Australia before the gold rushes
                      without paying for it, for the purpose of grazing stock – mainly sheep.
Legislative Council   In 1854, Victoria was ruled by a Governor appointed by the British Parliament (the
                      Crown) who was advised by a Legislative Council, but had the power of veto.
                      The Legislative Council consisted of men appointed by the Crown and some elected
                      locally. However, only males over 21 who owned property worth over £100 could vote.
Forty-niner           Men who flocked to the Californian goldfields in 1849 were referred to as ‘Forty-niners’.
Alluvial              Gold found in creek beds.
Cradle                A wooden rocking device resembling a baby’s cradle which was used to separate the
                      gold nuggets from the wash dirt.
Deep Lead             Buried stream or river often rich in alluvial gold.
Ballarat Times        The Ballarat Times and Southern Cross was the newspaper published in Ballarat by
                      owner and editor Henry Seekamp. The first issue was 4 March, 1854. Henry Seekamp
                      supported the Eureka protesters in his newspaper articles.
Foot                  In imperial measurements, 1 foot was divided into 12 inches.
                      (1 inch = 2.54 centimetres).
Martial Law           A law imposed upon an area when civil authority has broken down and the military has
                      taken control.

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BLOOD ON THE SOUTHERN CROSS TEACHING KIT - LEVEL 5
BIBLIOGRAPHY

Reference Books
Bradby D, Life on the Goldfields, (Black Dog/Walker Books, Newtown NSW, 2012)
Hocking G, Eureka Stockade, A Pictorial History, (Five Mile Press, Rowville VIC, 2004)
Hocking G, To The Diggings! (Lothian, Melbourne VIC, 2000)
Littlejohn M, Eureka Stockade, (Black Dog/Walker Books, Newtown NSW, 2013)

Internet Resources
Public Record Office Victoria
www.prov.vic.gov.au

Ballarat Reform League Inc.
www.ballaratreformleague.org.au/

Sovereign Hill Education Blog
http://sovereignhilledblog.com/
    Blog posts relating to Eureka
    Visit a Cemetery
    http://sovereignhilledblog.com/2012/05/08/visit-a-cemetery-and-discover-the-past/
    Book Review, The Night We Made the Flag
    http://sovereignhilledblog.com/2012/05/02/books-for-teaching-history-the-night-we-made-the-flag/
    What caused the Eureka Stockade? Parts 1 to 3
    http://sovereignhilledblog.com/2012/02/17/what-caused-the-eureka-stockade/
    http://sovereignhilledblog.com/2012/06/19/what-caused-the-eureka-stockade-part-2/
    http://sovereignhilledblog.com/2013/02/27/what-caused-the-eureka-stockade-part-3/
    The charter of the Ballarat Reform League
    http://sovereignhilledblog.com/2011/11/11/the-charter-of-the-ballarat-reform-league-1111/

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BLOOD ON THE SOUTHERN CROSS TEACHING KIT - LEVEL 5
DVD
Blood on the Southern Cross
Available for online purchase from Sovereign Hill
http://shopping.sovereignhill.com.au/products/blood-on-the-southern-cross-dvd

Fiction Titles
Annear R, Fly a Rebel Flag, (Black Dog/Walker Books, Newtown NSW, 2004)
An excellent account of the Eureka story which makes the personal side of this uprising come alive for students.
Suitable for Years 3-6.
Wheatley N, My Story “A Banner Bold” The Diary of Rosa Aarons, (Scholastic Press, Sydney NSW, 2000)
The diary of a girl living on the Ballarat goldfields before, and just after, Eureka. An easy read. Suitable for
Years 3-6.
Wilkinson C, The Night We Made the Flag. (Black Dog/Walker Books, Newtown NSW, 2008)
A picture book about a young girl who helps women on the diggings to make the Eureka Flag.

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EXTENDING YOUR BALLARAT VISIT

If you are staying for more than one day, your entry ticket to Sovereign Hill covers consecutive days’ entry to
Sovereign Hill and the Gold Museum for the one-day price. Remember, you need at least 2 days to see and do
everything at Sovereign Hill and the Gold Museum.
Staying extra days means you may have time to explore other Ballarat sites with links to the Eureka story and
then return to Sovereign Hill if you need to.

During Your Visit to Ballarat
As well as visiting Sovereign Hill and watching Blood on the Southern Cross, you can enhance your
understanding of the Eureka story by including as many of the following activities as you have time for.

Visit the Site of the Actual Stockade in Eureka Street
Sovereign Hill closes at 5.00 pm. You have time to leave the site and return again for Blood on the Southern
Cross. During this time you could visit the site of the actual Stockade which is 10 minutes by bus from Sovereign
Hill. The site is now a park containing a large granite obelisk bearing the names of the diggers who died during
the attack.

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The park also contains an impressive sculpture called The Eureka Circle. It was erected in 2004 for the
150th anniversary of Eureka. The sculpture is made up of 20 individual steel panels depicting aspects of the
Eureka story. You enter the circle by passing beneath a lintel bearing the oath sworn by the diggers at Bakery Hill
on 30 November, 1854.

The Eureka Circle, Eureka Street, Ballarat

The original Eureka Flag is on permanent display
in the Museum of Australian Democracy at Eureka
(M.A.D.E.). This museum is in a modern building next
to the Eureka Circle. Check the website for current
costs and booking details.
http://www.made.org/Learn/MADEToLearn.aspx

‘We swear by the Southern Cross to stand truly by
each other and fight to defend our rights and liberties.’

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Bakery Hill
Bakery Hill was the site of the ‘Monster
Meetings’. This was where the Eureka
Flag was first flown on 29 November,
1854 before the diggers took it to
Eureka Street and built their stockade.
Today, Bakery Hill has a large roundabout
(at the intersection of Victoria and
Humffray Streets). A huge replica of the
Eureka Flag flies from the flagpole in the
middle of this roundabout.

Peter Lalor Statue
In front of St Patrick’s Cathedral, at the
intersection of Sturt and Dawson Streets,
is a bronze statue of Peter Lalor wearing
his parliamentary robes as Speaker of
the Legislative Council. The statue has
been placed so the figure of Lalor faces
down Sturt Street (the main street in
Ballarat) looking directly towards the site
of the Stockade. Beneath the statue, four
bronze panels depict scenes from his life,
including a scene of the battle.

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Art Gallery of Ballarat

Art Gallery of Ballarat, Lydiard Street North

The Art Gallery in Lydiard Street was built in the
1880s and is a beautiful example of Australian
colonial architecture. It contains an impressive
collection of Australian art including works by
Streeton, Roberts and McCubbin, as well as a
collection of paintings by Charles Doudiet
depicting Eureka events.
The Gallery is open daily from 10.00 am – 5.00 pm
and entry for self-guided tours is FREE. For a charge,
schools can book a session with an Education Officer.
For enquiries, email                                     Swearing Allegiance to the Southern Cross
                                                         by Charles Doudiet
artgal@ballarat.vic.gov.au

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Old Ballarat Cemetery
If you have time, consider visiting the Old Ballarat Cemetery in Creswick Road. It is open daily from 9.00 am until
5.00 pm and entry is FREE.
There is a large area where buses can park next to the gates off Macarthur Street, and the cemetery has toilet
facilities. The restored heritage rotunda provides a comfortable place to assemble your students and to serve as
a meeting place when they have finished gathering their information.

Rotunda, Old Ballarat Cemetery, Creswick Road

The cemetery is rich in Ballarat’s history as it contains many graves of early settlers who were looking to make
their fortune on the goldfields. Many are children’s graves. The cemetery also has a large Chinese section.
The cemetery gatehouse contains an excellent display of information panels telling details of the Eureka
Rebellion. It also houses a touch screen computer which has information on all burials and details on how to
locate graves. If you type a name into the computer, a map of the cemetery appears showing where the grave
is located.
Note that the gatehouse is locked at 5.00 pm.
Information on burials can also be accessed online at http://ballaratcemeteries.com.au/old_ballarat.htm
This cemetery has strong links to the Eureka story.

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Suggested Activities for a Visit to the Old Ballarat Cemetery

Diggers’ Monument                    Soldiers’ Monument                   James Scobie’s Grave

Small groups of students could be given the name of one Eureka figure mentioned below and the task to locate
the grave and photograph it for a class display.

Graves with Connections to Eureka
James Scobie was the digger whose murder led to the burning of Bentley’s Hotel. Look out for the truncated
(cut off) column above his grave, symbolising a life cut short.
Diggers and soldiers who died as a consequence of the battle are buried here. Monuments have been erected
over their graves listing their names. A Eureka Flag flies over the diggers’ graves and a Union Jack over the
soldiers’ graves, making them easy to find.

Soldiers’ Monument
Ask a student to read aloud the inscriptions on the soldiers’ monument. Ask the students what they think these
words mean. Do the words on the monument blame anyone for the deaths at the Eureka Stockade? Why does
the soldiers’ monument have the word DUTY and a crown on one side? When was this monument erected?
How long after the event was this? Why do you think it took so long?

Diggers’ Monument
Can you draw any conclusions from the nationalities of the miners who died during the battle? Were a large
number from the same country? Which country? Can you explain why so many were from the same country?

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Other graves you can find in the Old Ballarat Cemetery with links to the Eureka story include those of John
Basson Humffray, Anastasia Hayes, Phoebe Scobie (nee Emmerson), John Joseph and Doctor Timothy Doyle.
Students may need to do further research back at school to discover how these people were linked to Eureka.
The following lists of those who died of injuries sustained during the attack on the Eureka Stockade have been
compiled from information in a book called Deaths at Eureka by D. Wickham (self-published 1996).

MILITARY
 NAME                                  PLACE OF BIRTH   DETAILS                          DIED           AGE
                                                        12th Regiment
 Boyle, Private Felix                  Ireland                                             10.1.1855      32
                                                        Gunshot wounds

 Brien, Private Denis                  Ireland          40th Regiment                      3.12.1854       *

 Hall, Private John                    Ireland          12th Regiment                     31.12.1854       *

 Littlehales, Captain George Richard   *                12th Regiment                      12.2.1855       *

                                                        40th Regiment
 Roney, Private Michael                Ireland                                             3.12.1854      21
                                                        Gunshot wounds

                                                        40th Regiment
 Wall, Private Joseph                  England                                             3.12.1854      20
                                                        Gunshot and pike wounds

                                                        12th Regiment
 Webb, Private William                 *                                                   5.12.1854      19
                                                        Gunshot wounds

                                                        40th Regiment
 Wise, Captain Henry Christopher       Italy                                              21.12.1854      26
                                                        Wounds

* unknown

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DIGGERS
 NAME                  PLACE OF BIRTH   DETAILS                    DIED         AGE
                                        Miner
 Brown, James          Ireland                                       *.2.1855    29
                                        Gunshot wounds
                                        Miner
 Clifton, George       England                                      14.1.1855   30-32
                                        Gunshot wounds
 Coxhead, Frederick    England          Lawyer’s clerk               *.5.1856    24
                                        Miner
 Crowe, John           Ireland                                      3.12.1854    30
                                        Gunshot wounds
                                        Miner/storekeeper
 Diamond, Martin       Ireland                                      3.12.1854    23
                                        Gunshot wounds
                                        Miner
 Donaghey, George      Ireland                                      3.12.1854    25
                                        Gunshot wounds
                                        Miner
 Emmarmann, William    Russia                                       3.12.1854    20
                                        Gunshot wounds
                                        Miner
 Gittins, Patrick      Ireland                                      3.12.1854    32
                                        Gunshot wounds
 Hardie, William       *                *                           10.1.1855     *
                                        Blacksmith
 Henfield, Thomas      Germany                                      3.12.1854    28
                                        Gunshot wounds
                                        Miner
 Hynes, John           Ireland                                      3.12.1854    30
                                        Gunshot wounds
                                        Miner
 Julien, Robert        Canada                                       14.1.1855    34
                                        Gunshot wounds
 McGlynn, Edward       Ireland          Miner                       3.12.1854    36
                                        Miner
 Moore, Thaddeus       Ireland                                      3.12.1854    21
                                        Gunshot wounds
                                        Miner
 Mullins *             Ireland                                      3.12.1854    28
                                        Gunshot wounds
                                        Miner
 O’Neil, Thomas        Ireland                                      3.12.1854    30
                                        Gunshot wounds
                                        Blacksmith
 Parker, Thomas        *                                            4.12.1854    30
                                        Gunshot wounds
                                        Miner
 Powell, Henry         *                                            3.12.1854    23
                                        Gunshot and sabre wounds
                                        Miner
 Quinlan, William      Australia                                    3.12.1854     *
                                        Gunshot wounds
                                        Miner
 Quinn, Edward         Ireland                                      3.12.1854    35
                                        Gunshot wounds
 Robertson, John       Scotland         Miner                       3.12.1854    25
                                        Miner
 Ross, Charles         Canada                                       5.12.1854    27
                                        Gunshot wounds
                                        Miner
 Rowlands, Llewellyn   Wales                                        3.12.1854    33
                                        Gunshot wounds
                                        Lemonade seller
 Thonen, Edward        Prussia                                      3.12.1854    24
                                        Gunshot wounds

* unknown

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