Use this website and other related sites to assist you with answering the questions and activities below.

General questions:

1. What is the chronological order of these historical events? The Eureka Rebellion, The Bendigo Petition, the Diggers’ Banner and the Red Ribbon Rebellion.
2. Explain what the Diggers’ Banner represents and symbolises.
3. How much did the miners have to pay for a licence? What price were they prepared to pay as part of their demands?

Extended questions:

1. The Bendigo miners tried to use ‘peaceful protest’ to air their grievances about the high cost of the miners licence. What is passive resistance and provide examples of passive resistance during the gold rush.
2. The new Governor of Victoria, Charles Hotham was seen by the miners as a man with a fresh approach after the ‘tyranny’ of the previous Governor La Trobe. Suggest why this new Governor so badly misread the mood of the miners.
3. Organize a debate in your class or with your friends.
   • “That peaceful protest is the best way to get the Government to agree to a reduction in licence fees.”
   • “That the miners’ licence cost is fair and reasonable.”
   • “That there should be no tax (miners licence) without representation (the right to vote).”
   • “That the Eureka uprising would not have happened without the Red Ribbon Rebellion.”

Hands on activities:

1. Using the information from this website, design your own diggers’ banner. You might consider these symbols: Southern Cross, Pick and shovel, gold pan, miners’ license, Union Jack, Cradle, Australian wildlife, gold nugget, and red ribbon.
2. Design a poster of a meeting of the diggers. Use posters on this website to assist. Your poster might be of the monster meetings, the Red Ribbon march or a call to sign the Bendigo Petition.
3. Write a poem about the diggers' plight.