| Eureka Ballarat, Victoria |
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Eureka Centre |
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Eureka
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| Population: | 609[1] | ||||||||||||
| Postcode: | 3350 | ||||||||||||
| Location: | 1.5 km (1 mi) from Ballarat Central | ||||||||||||
| LGA: | City of Ballarat | ||||||||||||
| State District: | Ballarat East | ||||||||||||
| Federal Division: | Ballarat | ||||||||||||
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Eureka is a small eastern suburb of Ballarat, Victoria, Australia. At the 2006 census, Eureka had a population of 609.[1]
Eureka is bordered by Specimen Creek to the north, Canadian Creek to the south, Queen and Joseph streets to the west and Kline and Stawell Street to the east. It is a small section of land within the larger suburb of Ballarat East.
The suburb takes its name from the Eureka Lead the gold mining lead of the Eureka Mining Company and is most notable as the site of the historic event of the Eureka Rebellion and the flag flown by the rebels known as the Eureka Flag both of which have national significance to Australia. The site is marked by several monuments including the Eureka Centre, an interpretation centre and the Eureka monument.
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Civil disobedience in Eureka led to Australia's first and only armed civil uprising, the Eureka Rebellion (colloquially referred to as the Eureka Stockade) which took place on 3 December 1854. The event, in which 22 miners died, is considered to be a defining moment in Australian history.
For many years, Eureka was simply a locality in Ballarat East, however in 1946 it was officially gazetted as a suburb in its own right.
Eureka does not have a main commercial area and is almost entirely residential. The Buninyong railway line bisects the suburb, however the line is disused and the station has been closed for nearly a century.
The Stockade gardens were set aside in 1864 to commemorate the Eureka Stockade event. The Eureka Stockade Monument was built in 1884 on a site selected by community vote.[2] The monument itself is an obelisk on a plinth flanked by four cannons.
A purpose built interpretation centre for the Eureka Rebellion site was erected in 1998 near the site of the stockade. Designed to be a new landmark for Ballarat, the building featured an enormous sail emblazoned with the Eureka Flag.[3] Before its development there was considerable debate over whether a replica or reconstruction of wooden stockade structures was appropriate, however it was eventually decided against and this is seen by many as a reason for the apparent failure of the centre to draw significant tourist numbers. Due primarily to falling visitor numbers the centre was redeveloped between 2009-11.[4]
A Eureka Trail was devised which follows the movement of the soldiers from the barracks at Camp Street, Ballarat, across Black Hill to the battle site at Eureka.
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