Eureka Stockade, rebellion (December 3, 1854) in which gold prospectors in Ballarat, Victoria, Australia—who sought various reforms, notably the abolition of mining licenses—clashed with government forces. It was named for the rebels’ hastily constructed fortification in the Eureka goldfield. The...
Written and fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Article History Location: Australia Major Events: Eureka Stockade See all related content The discovery of gold in New South Wales in 1851 began the first of a series of gold rushes in colonial Australia—a defining era of its...