Graeme Cartledge explores the advent of municipal government in colonial Victoria, positioning it as the earliest form of democracy in Australia. Diggers across the Victorian goldfields fought a long and bitter campaign to remove the tyrannical Goldfields Commission and replace it with something far more democratic. In the wake of these protests culminating in the 1854 Eureka Stockade, municipal government was inaugurated colony-wide by liberal politicians seeking to bring order to growing urban populations, to repair the chaotic social situation on the goldfields, and to support the colony’s development. This talk reflects on the evolution of municipal government in colonial Victoria, its social and political influence, and its enduring legacy.
Graeme Cartledge is a descendant of Vandemonian miners who arrived in Victoria during the goldrush era. He completed his MA thesis on the establishment of the Ballarat West Municipal Council. His keen interest in the history of the goldfields and colonial Victoria is reflected in published works including: ‘A Nineteenth Century Scot in Colonial Victoria’ (2023), and the Victorian Historical Journal article, ‘Transition from Tyranny: Establishing Local Government on the Victorian Goldfields 1851-1856’ (June 2023).
Attend Talking History in person at the Eureka Centre (no booking required). Past lectures can be viewed on YouTube by clicking this link.
Image: Smith, Archibald Vincent, ‘Town Hall, Ballarat East’ (c 1862?), photograph: albumen silver, 27.5x33cm, State Library of Victoria, H1771
