blood on the southern cross teaching kit - level 5

HEADING 1
HEADING 2
BLOOD ON THE SOUTHERN CROSS
BLOOD
ON THE SOUTHERN
TEACHING
KIT - CROSS
LEVEL 5
SUB HEADING
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
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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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
2
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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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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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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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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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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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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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
artgal@ballarat.vic.gov.au
Swearing Allegiance to the Southern Cross
by Charles Doudiet
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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
Boyle, Private Felix
Ireland
12th Regiment
Gunshot wounds
10.1.1855
32
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
*
Roney, Private Michael
Ireland
40th Regiment
Gunshot wounds
3.12.1854
21
Wall, Private Joseph
England
40th Regiment
Gunshot and pike wounds
3.12.1854
20
Webb, Private William
*
12th Regiment
Gunshot wounds
5.12.1854
19
Wise, Captain Henry Christopher
Italy
40th Regiment
Wounds
21.12.1854
26
* unknown
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DIGGERS
NAME
PLACE OF BIRTH
Brown, James
Ireland
Clifton, George
England
Coxhead, Frederick
England
Crowe, John
Ireland
Diamond, Martin
Ireland
Donaghey, George
Ireland
Emmarmann, William
Russia
Gittins, Patrick
Ireland
Hardie, William
*
Henfield, Thomas
Germany
Hynes, John
Ireland
Julien, Robert
Canada
McGlynn, Edward
Ireland
Moore, Thaddeus
Ireland
Mullins *
Ireland
O’Neil, Thomas
Ireland
Parker, Thomas
*
Powell, Henry
*
Quinlan, William
Australia
Quinn, Edward
Ireland
Robertson, John
Scotland
Ross, Charles
Canada
Rowlands, Llewellyn
Wales
Thonen, Edward
Prussia
DETAILS
Miner
Gunshot wounds
Miner
Gunshot wounds
Lawyer’s clerk
Miner
Gunshot wounds
Miner/storekeeper
Gunshot wounds
Miner
Gunshot wounds
Miner
Gunshot wounds
Miner
Gunshot wounds
*
Blacksmith
Gunshot wounds
Miner
Gunshot wounds
Miner
Gunshot wounds
Miner
Miner
Gunshot wounds
Miner
Gunshot wounds
Miner
Gunshot wounds
Blacksmith
Gunshot wounds
Miner
Gunshot and sabre wounds
Miner
Gunshot wounds
Miner
Gunshot wounds
Miner
Miner
Gunshot wounds
Miner
Gunshot wounds
Lemonade seller
Gunshot wounds
DIED
AGE
*.2.1855
29
14.1.1855
30-32
*.5.1856
24
3.12.1854
30
3.12.1854
23
3.12.1854
25
3.12.1854
20
3.12.1854
32
10.1.1855
*
3.12.1854
28
3.12.1854
30
14.1.1855
34
3.12.1854
36
3.12.1854
21
3.12.1854
28
3.12.1854
30
4.12.1854
30
3.12.1854
23
3.12.1854
*
3.12.1854
35
3.12.1854
25
5.12.1854
27
3.12.1854
33
3.12.1854
24
* unknown
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