Carboni's eye-witness account of
the incident has not received due recognition for its historical
importance. It is the only complete first hand description and
analysis of the causes of the attack on the Eureka Stockade and the
main events which preceded and followed it.
The attack took place at Ballarat,
on the Victorian Goldfields, in 1854 when police and soldiers
overran the stockade which had been set up by disgruntled miners.
The incident arose out of friction which built up between the miners
and government officials as a result of, among other things, the
practice of intimidatory checking of mining licences by officials.
The action of the miners exemplified the spirit of comradeship and
self sacrifice for a common cause which has come to be considered a
common trait in the Australian character.
Carboni has a somewhat eccentric
style, perhaps due in part to the fact that English was not his
first language. Nevertheless, the book is very readable, with
dramatic, an incisive commentary and shrewd observations.
