The Skeptical Historian

"To the Colonists!" - A Letter from a Liar? : Part II


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In April 1855, while in hiding from the law after the Battle of the Eureka Stockade, Peter Lalor, the rebel Commander-in-Chief, wrote an open letter that has since become the Holy Gospel of Eureka. It is one of the most quoted and referenced documents regarding this event, and is indispensable to any serious study of the Eureka Stockade, or the Ballarat goldfields. But is it all we've been led to believe? Peter Lalor was a smooth political operator with grand ambitions. He wasn't going to let something as big as Eureka pass without using it to his advantage!

In this two-part episode, Juliana unpicks Lalor's famous open letter "To The Colonists" and sorts through the myths to get at the facts. Part II considers the command structure inside the stockade, the attack itself, Peter Lalor's life-changing injury and the treatment of civilians by the military and police. Tune in after the credits to hear the second part of Lalor's letter, read by Juliana.

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The Skeptical HistorianBy Juliana Byers