"To the Colonists!" - A Letter from a Liar?: Part I

In April 1855, while in hiding from the law after the Battle of the Eureka Stockade, Peter Lalor, the rebel Commander-in-Chief, wrote an open letter that has since become the Holy Gospel of Eureka. It is one of the most quoted and referenced documents regarding this event, and is indispensable to any serious study of the Eureka Stockade, or the Ballarat goldfields. But is it all we've been led to believe? Peter Lalor was a smooth political operator with grand ambitions. He wasn't going to let something as big as Eureka pass without using it to his advantage!

In this two-part episode, Juliana unpicks Lalor's famous open letter "To The Colonists" and sorts through the myths to get at the facts. Part I examines the build up to the stockade, and the events such as the Ambush of the 12th Regiment, the Gravel Pits Riot, the oath beneath the Southern Cross, and the attacks on civilians by roving bands of stockaders. Tune in after the credits to hear the first part of Lalor's letter, read by Juliana, and listen in next episode to hear the dramatic conclusion.