"Foreigners" are to blame
The government and its overly wealthy supporters and advisers just didn't get it. They tried desperately to make the whole fracas out to have been caused by "foreign" troublemakers and anarchists. Sadly for them, Carboni was pretty much the only one who properly fitted the description.
The government approach was highlighted by Major General Sir Robert Mickle, commander of the Victoria's military forces, who, in a proclamation distributed after Captain Wise died of his wounds on 21 December, claimed the Eureka stockade was built by 'a numerous band of foreign anarchists and armed ruffians [who] had converted [it] into a stronghold'.
In fact, out of those whose nationalities are pretty well known, and who were non-government combatants at Eureka, 82 were British, and 46 non-British. Of the "British", there were 37 Irish; 19 English, 4 of whom were Cornish; 7 Scots; 1 from Wales; and 1 Channel Islander, from Guernsey; and from the British colonies, where the colonists were British, 4 "Australians", 2 from from the colony of New South Wales and 2 from the colony of Tasmania; 12 "Canadians", including 1 who had "lived" in Canada, and 4 who had served in the British army in Canada, although quite why they're listed as "Canadians" is a mite unclear; and 1 from the British colony of Jamaica, whose forebears had not arrived willingly.
Of the "foreigners", there were 13 from the various German states (they united as "Germany" a couple of decades later); 10 from the United States of America, one of whom was black (this specification is of some importance later); 6 French; 5 Italians; 3 Swedes; 2 Swiss; 1 Dane; 1 Norwegian; 1 Finn; 1 Greek, albeit with Italian parents; 1 Portuguese; 1 Russian; and 1 Spaniard.
Like more modern finagling about threats posed by miserable people fleeing murder and oppression, the government was attempting to divert concern over its responsibility for forcing the miners into rebellion into concern over "foreigners" attempting to overthrow legitimate government. Unlike more modern times, where governments of various types have been successful, in 1854/55 the government was considerably less successful, as we shall see.
The government approach was highlighted by Major General Sir Robert Mickle, commander of the Victoria's military forces, who, in a proclamation distributed after Captain Wise died of his wounds on 21 December, claimed the Eureka stockade was built by 'a numerous band of foreign anarchists and armed ruffians [who] had converted [it] into a stronghold'.
In fact, out of those whose nationalities are pretty well known, and who were non-government combatants at Eureka, 82 were British, and 46 non-British. Of the "British", there were 37 Irish; 19 English, 4 of whom were Cornish; 7 Scots; 1 from Wales; and 1 Channel Islander, from Guernsey; and from the British colonies, where the colonists were British, 4 "Australians", 2 from from the colony of New South Wales and 2 from the colony of Tasmania; 12 "Canadians", including 1 who had "lived" in Canada, and 4 who had served in the British army in Canada, although quite why they're listed as "Canadians" is a mite unclear; and 1 from the British colony of Jamaica, whose forebears had not arrived willingly.
Of the "foreigners", there were 13 from the various German states (they united as "Germany" a couple of decades later); 10 from the United States of America, one of whom was black (this specification is of some importance later); 6 French; 5 Italians; 3 Swedes; 2 Swiss; 1 Dane; 1 Norwegian; 1 Finn; 1 Greek, albeit with Italian parents; 1 Portuguese; 1 Russian; and 1 Spaniard.
Like more modern finagling about threats posed by miserable people fleeing murder and oppression, the government was attempting to divert concern over its responsibility for forcing the miners into rebellion into concern over "foreigners" attempting to overthrow legitimate government. Unlike more modern times, where governments of various types have been successful, in 1854/55 the government was considerably less successful, as we shall see.