Eureka: Gathering the 'oppressed of all nations'

Over the last one hundred and fifty years, the meaning of the Eureka Stockade has been characterised in different ways. To some it has been the birthplace of Australian democracy, to others the germ of republicanism, or the cradle of the labour movement. Eureka can also be celebrated as an early expression or example of internationalism in Australian. The principles and values of the Ballarat Reform league attracted workers Irom many nations in a universal fight for better conditions and political participation. The language and membership of the league were inclusive, embracing a very international definition of the term· 'citizen', though for many years afterward that definition was circumscribed to exclude those of non-white ancestry.C