Well, maybe just one!
How could you know just what this message means? With apologies to Herman’s Hermits!
Today we awoke early and prepared for the forty minute train trip to Melbourne, including the packing of some fruit and a thermos of coffee. The purpose was a specialist doctors appointment for SWMBO.
AT LEAST THAT IS WHAT I THOUGHT! We turned up at the clinic only to be told that SHE had got it wrong and it was next week. Plan B, dreamed up on the spot, we decided to go to the Melbourne Museum which is just a short walk away. Now for you readers in the UK and the US the Melbourne Museum is quite small and although it has a huge collection, much is in the vaults in the basements and not on display.
At least we found out that on 12th of March there is a Tricertops special display which the Grandkids will love to see and we have made bookings. I did come across this diorama of the fight at the Eureka Stockade.
You can see the Victorian Mounted police in the background, and the miners, and elements of the 12th and 40th Regiments of British Infantry in the foreground.
This is of particular interest to our family as a descendant of ours, Anne Duke, had a tent with her husband, inside the Eureka Stockade. She was one of the women who sewed the stars on the Eureka Flag, and was inside the Eureka Stockade during the battle. Anne’s brother Thomas Gaynor is said to have helped Peter Lalor after the battle. It was said that the pregnant Anne hid with Mrs Parker behind the logs around the tent, and heard the bullets striking the utensils in the tent. The clothes in Ann Duke’s tent were riddled with shot.
For those readers not from these shores, the Eureka Stockade is a turning point in Australian history, marking the birthplace of the democracy movement in Australia.
The leader of the “rebellion” (I prefer freedom fighters), Peter Lalor, has a Melbourne suburb named after him and following his pardon became a Labour member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly and later the Legislative Council from 1857 to 1889.
During a speech in the Legislative Council in 1856 he said, “I would ask these gentlemen what they mean by the term ‘democracy’. Do they mean Chartism or Communism or Republicanism? If so, I never was, I am not now, nor do I ever intend to be a democrat. But if a democrat means opposition to a tyrannical press, a tyrannical people, or a tyrannical government, then I have been, I am still, and will ever remain a democrat.”
On 29 November, 1854, gold miners saw the enormous flag for the first time at Bakery Hill. It served as a call for men to gather, and they began to protest and burn their miner’s licenses. Fifteen thousand people turned up for the unveiling.
People around the Victorian goldfields were also unhappy with the lack of thoroughness with which police had investigated a number of goldfields crimes. They were concerned about what they thought was the unfair and secretive way people were charged and convicted of crimes. Four days later, the flag was moved to the centre of a hastily built stockade at the Eureka diggings, where miners had gathered for a confrontation with government troops and police.Within 20 minutes the battle was over, 27 men were dead, and the flag was torn down and attacked. Crucially, though, it wasn’t destroyed and is proudly on display at the Eureka Centre in Ballarat, on long-term loan from the Art Gallery of Ballarat.
The 2600mm wide x 3240mm high flag on display.
In our Prime Minister Morrison’s Australia, it is still unlawful to fly a Eureka flag which is part of our history, but legal to fly Nazi flags. To think this turkey was voted in by Australians…..go figure! With apologies to all the turkeys out there – at least you don’t think the sky is falling!
There were also these things of note that we liked:
The most famous and most viewed exhibit in the museum, Phar Lap the winner of the 1932 Melbourne Cup (says a lot about Australian culture doesn’t it).
A great piece of Aboriginal art dating back to the 1860’s. The sad thing is to see how in such a short time Aboriginal culture has been influenced by Europeans.
The Inostravancevia is a powerful predator. It belongs to a group of mammal-like reptiles that existed before the dinosaurs. The mammal-like reptiles eventually led to modern mammals. Inostravancevia’s legs were in a semi-sprawling position, allowing it to run faster than reptiles.
Australian large mega fauna the Diprotodon optatum was a hippopotamus-sized marsupial and was most closely related to wombats.
Procoptodon, and Ankylosaurus fossils.
Uniform of the Victorian Artillery Regiment circa 1892. Each of the colonies had their own military forces until Federation in 1901. The regiment was established to man shore batteries against a perceived Russian invasion, and we are still paranoid about them today!
Cross section of the Cereberus – Victoria’s navy. Unfortunately it was not preserved, but was sunk as a breakwater off Black Rock and is still a popular diving place today
Nordenfelt gun purchased from Sweden by the Victorian Government for use on the Ceberus, shoreline batteries, and horse artillery.
One cannot go away from the museum without visiting the shop can one. Did I come away with anything? Is the Pope Catholic?
An extinct Giant Horseshoe Crab to use as a “large mutant” in Zona Alpha.
“Where are we going to find a pot to cook that!”
Hopefully no more dramas will befall us and I will get some painting done tomorrow.
Really enjoyed this post, Dave! 🙂 Been far too long since I’ve been to a museum!
You have so much more choices. I can thoroughly recommend it!
A great trip to the museum Dave, and thanks for the history displayed in your post, not something that is taught in English schools, so very interesting. Very nice horseshoe crab you managed to acquire.
Not taught much here either.
Interesting that the Eureka Flag is still illegal. Governments clearly have long memories. As for the appointment, better a week early than a week too late, I suppose.
Regards, Chris.
Not enforced but still illegal. It has always flown over the site at Ballarat for as long as I can remember. Both conservative and Labour governments have steered clear of the issue although for most Aussies it is a no brainer.
The issue is about confusing the official flag with the Southern Cross, but there is a strong movement to remove the Union Jack of the national flag any way. Maybe when Lizzy passes away!
Even better to get it right first time! Grumpy Guru!
Great post David.
Love the megfauna fossils- I fondly remember a book I had one them as a child.
That crab is brilliant by the way too.
Cheers,
Pete.
Diprotodon for the win! My favourite (almost) dinosaur
I kind of had heard of the Eureka stockade standoff/ battle, but couldn’t have told you the why’s and wherefores of the run up to it. So thanks for the history lesson it is totally weird that you cannot fly the flag… totally mental. That horseshoe crab is spot on.
You’ve got to hand it to the British at Eureka. There were thousands of discontented miners scattered about the diggings but the dawn assault caught them outnumbered, with only 150 in the stockade. Nipped the rebellion in the bud & forced government concessions, so a win all round unless you were one of the casualties.
The Cerberus is a real shame. Ordered in the aftermath of Confederate raider Shenandoah’s visit to Melbourne in 1865, as an armoured monitor her six month voyage here was an epic in itself. She was the pride of the Victorian fleet & would have been a unique tourist attraction today but has been let disintegrate out in the bay through no political will to save her. What a waste!
Agreed.
Great, great, and interesting post. Thanks for all the details – though not being able to fly any flag you want is testament to why a Bill of Rights is so indispensable. Freedom of expression, to include flying any flag you want (even if it’s a disgusting one in someone’s eyes), should never be infringed. As for the Cerberus, I saw its story on the Mysteries of the Abandoned, and it’s so sad that it was not preserved for your history other than as a breakwater. It’s voyage from the UK to AUS alone was fascinating to learn about.
Agreed a Bill of Rights and a First nations treaty like New Zealand’s are essential but will never happen!