Australian History

[DrDuck]

Big night at karoke last night, there were two almost professional singers - one bloke who did a great Elvis, and a big chick with a big voice who did Aretha Franklin and Janice Joplin.

Old mate sauntered up to the mike wearing tracky dacks and thongs (in Goulburn on a winters night), and when we saw he was going to sing Viva Los Vegas, we were expecting the worst, but he was great. He also did a very good New York, New York, another song usually sung badly by drunks. He and the big girl really stole the show.

I don't do much Elvis, but last night did some Trace Adkins (Honky Tonk Bedonka Donk), Jace Everett, (Bad Things), Steelers Wheel (Stuck in the Middle), Chris Isaak (Wicked Game) and Michael Buble (Feeling Good and Spider Man theme). It was a good night.

Anyway, a question.

Most people would have heard of the Eugowra escort robbery, where Ben Hall and his gang held up the gold escort and stole 77kg of gold and 3,700 pounds in cash.

Anyway, who can identify a somewhat similar robbery that happened some years previously, and tell us the story.

This might be easy, as I have not tested my clues for google resistance!

.

 

[Jaros]

I can only find the Clarke Bros.

 

[goldtruck59]

Perhaps the robbery of the ship the "Nelson" in Port Phillip bay if 1851? The gold cargo was robbed of the ship while it lay at anchor as most of the hands had deserted to head for the gold fields. The spoils were divvied up on StKilda beach.

 

[goldtruck59]

It was the private escort robbery in 1853. John Francis and John Grey amongst others. The haul was gold and cash valued at 10,000 pounds and it was from the McIvor gold fields. They were robbed between McIvor and Kyneton . It was a private escort rather than the government escort. 6 escort guards were injured.
The techniques were used by Ben Hall and Frank Gardiner in the later robbery at Eugowra in 1862. They were caught arrested on George Francis's evidence (the brother) he committed suicide, Grey escaped and was never seen again and John Francis dobbed in the others and was pardoned and left the country with his missus.
The others were hanged.

 

[DrDuck]

Gold truck gets it, good Answer, I'll post a link to a newspaper article when I am off the phone.
Anyway over to you!

 

[goldtruck59]

Thanks Dr Duck

That was a great question. Had me going for hours.

I was an event in the 1850's that was been compared in size and intensity to Eureka stockade but now days , largely forgotten. A soon to be famous explorer was a participant in me.
I was a catalyst in the passing of an act of parliament in the inaugural Barton Government in 1901.

Please tell me the event and the name of the act.

PS I am leaving tomorrow for a few days in Dunolly so forgive me if I am less than punctual in response as a day in the bush detecting and an extended happy hour each night will naturally take precedence !!!.

However this question is straight forward and wont take long with all you guys.

 

[Tathradj]

Would this be what thou are seeking. .
...
.
On July 4th, 2007, it will be 150 years since
the riot in the Buckland Valley occurred when
thousands of Chinese miners were attacked and
driven from the goldfi elds. This signifi cant event
has been compared to the Eureka Stockade
uprising in size and intensity. Over 750 miners'
tents were destroyed, stores belonging to the
Chinese were burnt down and looted and the
newly erected Chinese Temple (Joss House)
was reduced to ashes.

From Historyvictoria.org.au

One of the police involved in the arrests was Robert O'Hara Burke, later of the infamous Burke and Wills expedition.[1]

Wikipedia,
.
White Australia Policy comprises various historical policies that intentionally favoured immigration to Australia from certain European countries, and especially from Britain. It came into fruition with the Federation in 1901, and the policies were progressively dismantled between 1949 and 1973.[2] Australia's official World War One historian Charles Bean defined the early intentions of the policy as "a vehement effort to maintain a high Western standard of economy, society and culture (necessitating at that stage, however it might be camouflaged, the rigid exclusion of Oriental peoples)."[3]
.
Have I done good???

 

[goldtruck59]

Hey Tathradj

Mate I'm gonna give it to you because you are so close its not funny. Technically you are wrong as the act was

Immigration Restriction Act 1901, better know as the "White Australia Policy" !! to the GP.

The Lambing Flat riots also had a bearing on the new act with immigration restrictions, taxes and levies on Chinese coming from these two major riots. Unfair I suppose but how it was at the time.
Migrants really copped it until 1973 when Whitlam ended it officially. The major decline on the WAP came after WW2.

Have a great weekend. Over to you mate.
Bop

 

[the duck]

Congratulations people on 300 000 views but bad timing tathradj will get a prize goldtruck59 also and when tathradj asks a question the person who answer will as well
I will pm the people for their addresses so i can send them

 

[goldtruck59]

WoooooHooooo never won a thing Cheers Duck
Thanks Thathradj for being a slacker LOL
In Dunolly at the mo spending a week relaxing and having a sniff around.

 

[Tathradj]

I am an Australian Icon.
Much has been written about me and my undying faithfulness.
Poems, verse, and History are entwined about me but I am unmoved by
all this fuss.
Who and what am I. ??
.
.
.
Sorry for the delay for this but I have been head down, Tail up wishing that I was out and about instead but, I have to pay the bills some how.
.
Doug
.
(edited)
Just read back through the post's and WOW, 300,00 views.
That's one of the reasons I like this forum and participate.
It is the only forum that I devote time too. I have set my sights on meeting more
people this year so hope to see you out there real soon.
Take care.

 

[goldtruck59]

does this mean I am alive?

 

[DrDuck]

Is it the dog that sat on the tucker box statue in Gundagai?

 

[Tathradj]

DrDuck,
You the man.
The Dog on the Tucker box it is.

 

[goldtruck59]

Well done Dr Duck. It made no sense to me at all as I am very literal. Too many rums me thinks !!! Good one Tathradj.

 

[DrDuck]

Thanks Tathradj,

I stopped over at the statue a couple of months ago on my way back from Lake Mungo, so when I read your clue the answer just popped into my mind.

I'll have to put my thinking cap on. I'll try to come up with a gold related question.

And I'll look forward to meeting in person some time.

 

[DrDuck]

Here is a question....

Of what gold field was it reported:

"Some complaints have reached my ears that the
accounts from our extensive gold fields have been
exaggerated. You must pay no attention to these;
they emanate solely from a few individuals, who,
not having obtained very good claims in the onset,
and having realized only three or four ounces in
about a week, have left the place in disgust. I
must again repeat that there is not a man on the
field but what is making first-rate wages."

Most of us would be pretty happy with that!

"Of course some claims are not so rich as others, many
only get 1/2 an ounce a day, some an ounce, and so on.
The greatest amount obtained in one day, that I
have heard of, was, 24 ounces obtained by a party of
three."

Don't know about this bit though!

"The greatest harmony, order and regularity prevail, and seldom is there a
case of drunkenness or disturbance."

Probably an easy question if you know where to look, but we can only dream of the productivity of those early finds, and remember this would have been alluvial as well.

 

[Tathradj]

Well done Dr Duck. It made no sense to me at all as I am very literal. Too many rums me thinks !!! Good one Tathradj.

.

.
LOl Iwas not expecting such a quick answer.
Here is how I structured the clues,
,.
I am an Australian Icon.
Much has been written about me and my undying faithfulness.
Poems, verse, and History are entwined about me but I am unmoved by
all this fuss.
Who and what am I. ??
.
.
.
Sorry for the delay for this but I have been head down, Tail up wishing that I was out and about instead but, I have to pay the bills some how.

 

[goldtruck59]

Fly Flat ?

 

[DrDuck]

No, not Fly Flat, goldtruck.

Didn't know about it until I just looked it up, It was certainly fabulous in the early days.

The description I quoted above was from a bit earlier than the discoveries in Fly Flat.