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Peter Lallier Research Paper

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Peter Lalor Brave, Trustful and a Risk Taker
By Molly North

Peter Lalor shaped the face of Australia’s democracy as we know it today. Without his bravery and leadership in the nineteenth century Australia would never have been the same wealthy country as it is today.

Peter Lalor was born in Tenakill Ireland on the 5th of February 1827. He was the youngest of 11 children and lived in a family home in County Laois (Queens country) Ireland. Peter Lalor arrived in the Ballarat goldfields in 1853 starting his career as a miner. Peter and James Scobbie refused to pay their licence fee and most miners thought it was unfair that they got away with it.

After the tragic death of Peter’s good friend James Scobbie many debates were held between the miners and the government. The miners had enough. On the 29th of November 1854, 12,000 diggers met under the Southern …show more content…

Peter Lalor led. He was willing to risk his life for 12,000 diggers. They burnt their licenses, didn’t follow governor Hotham’s rules and the result was the Eureka stockade.

On the 3rd of December 1854 at dawn, Captain Thomas led the troopers into the Eureka stockade. Peter and the miners were not ready, it was a Sunday so they were not expecting the troopers. It was a battle they would all remember. Luckily Peter Lalor did not die but 22 of his fellow miners sadly did. There were only 6 troopers dead meaning the miners had lost but they were still determined.

Peter went to court to fight for many miners’ rights. It took a long time but finally the miners got it. They believed in themselves and finally got victory. In 1880 at the age of 53 Peter became a member of the upper house in parliament. Sadly 7 years later his very close wife and daughter passed away - because of this incidence Peter retired. Peter died on the 9th of February 1889. This significant man had changed and shaped Australian democracy, as we know it today.

Picture of Peter

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