Anniversary Commemorations and the National Significance of Eureka

Abstract

There are strongly held views by a large number of people that Eureka, the armed conflict that occurred on the Ballarat goldfields in 1854, was a significant event in the development of democracy in Australia. This article looks at the commemorations held for the 50th, 100th and 150th anniversaries of Eureka, comparing those held in Victora with those in other states of Australia, in order to assess the extent to which the commemorations indicate a national significance of this event.

Keywords

• australian history, eureka, commemoration, nationalism, significance