by Juliana Byers | Feb 6, 2025 | Australian History, Natural Disaster, Natural History, Newspapers, Pre-1900, Social History
Bushfire Safety in Victoria Podcast: Victoria’s Burning On 6 February 1851, the most extensive bushfire in Victoria’s recorded history ripped through the colony. Five million hectares, a quarter of the colony, was burned and dozens of homes and farms were...
by Juliana Byers | Apr 24, 2024 | Australian History, Ballarat, Newspapers, Podcast, Political History, Pre-1900, Social History, The Eureka Stockade
In April 1855, four months after the violent clash at the Eureka Stockade and following on from thirteen highly publicisesd high treason trials, an open letter appeared in the popular Melbourne newspaper The Argus. It’s author was none other than Peter Lalor,...
by Juliana Byers | Apr 14, 2024 | Australian History, Colonisation & Invasion, Indigenous Australia, Memorials, Military History, Museum, Pre-1900, Redcoats, Social History, The Australian Wars, True Crime, War Crime
WARNING: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders are warned that the following post contains references to colonial-era atrocities. The names of individuals who have died do not appear in this post. In February of 2023, the current chair of the Australian War Memorial...
by Juliana Byers | Apr 14, 2024 | Artefacts, Australian History, Bushrangers, Kelly Gang, Ned Kelly, Political History, Pre-1900, Social History, True Crime
His Honour Sir Redmond Barry fixed the notorious bushranger with a stern expression as the verdict was announced. “Guilty.” No one in the court was surprised and Barry placed the black cloth on his head and read out the death sentence. “May God have mercy on...
by Juliana Byers | Apr 14, 2024 | Australian History, Ballarat, Gold Rush, Military History, Political History, Pre-1900, Social History, The Eureka Stockade
Following on from my recent podcast, I want to talk a little more about why I think calling the Battle of the Eureka Stockade a rebellion is a misnomer. In the twenty-first century, particularly in countries with generally robust democracies (Australia among them),...
by Juliana Byers | Apr 14, 2024 | Australian History, Indigenous Australia, Indigenous History, Military History, Non-Fiction, Pre-1900, Recommended Viewing, The Australian Wars
In 2022, SBS released a fantastic documentary entitled “The Australian Wars” which told the story of Indigenous resistance to the British invasion of their land from 1788. It was a significant work, as for more than 200 years than standard narrative has been that one...
