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The First Finding of Gold
On 12th February 1851, Edward Hargraves announced that he had found the first payable gold nugget and claimed the reward of 10000 pounds from the NSW government and 5000 pounds from the Victorian government. However, it was later revealed that James Tom and John Lister were the first people to find gold and finally claimed credit for starting the Australian Gold Rush. -
Murder of James Scobie
James Scobie, a miner was kicked to death outside the Eureka Hotel. Four men including James Bentley, owner of the Eureka Hotel were acquitted. -
Burning down of Bentley's Hotel
On 17 October 1854, a mass of angry miners rioted outside the Bentley's hotel and burnt it down. The owners of the hotel, James and Katherine Bentley flee. -
Burning of Miners Licenses
On 30 November a mass burning of miners licences took place at a meeting on Bakery Hill. Under the leadership of Peter Lalor, the diggers then marched to the Eureka diggings. -
The Eureka Rebellion
In the early hours of Sunday, 3rd December 1854, several hundred soldiers and police attacked the stockade. The diggers were outnumbered and the troopers were better equipped. There were only about 200 or so miners left inside the Stockade, and they were quickly defeated. The battle lasted just 20 minutes. About twenty two diggers and five soldiers were killed. One of their leaders, Peter Lalor, was badly wounded and went into hiding. -
The Lambing Flat Riots
Following a spate of disagreements with the Chinese miners in Lambing Flat regarding their apparent waste of water, word that 1500 new Chinese miners were headed to join their community sparked a severe riot on 14 July in 1861. Brandishing spades and pickaxes, approximately 2000 white miners attacked the Chinese community, burning their camps and destroying their property, with 250 Chinese severely injured. -
The Welcome Stranger nugget
The Welcome Stranger, found near Moliagul in 1869, is the biggest known alluvial gold nugget, containing 2300 ounces of gold. It measured 61 by 31cm and weighed 62kg. It was found by John Deason and Richard Oates. -
The Holtermann Nugget
In October 1872 Holtermann Nugget was found. At that time it was the world's largest specimen of reef gold. It weighed 286 kg and measured 150cm by 66cm. -
Shootout at Glenrowan
A final violent confrontation with police took place at Glenrowan on 28 June 1880. Ned Kelly, dressed in home-made plate metal armour and a helmet, was captured and sent to gaol. -
Ned Kelly is Hanged
was hanged on 11 November 1880 at the Melbourne Gaol. Kelly's gaol warden wrote in his diary that when Kelly was prompted to say his last words, the prisoner opened his mouth and mumbled something that he could not hear.
