Pre-dawn, lantern light and the Reclaim the Radical Tradition of Eureka gathering at the Eureka memorial, 3 December 2006 Culture Wars and the Remembrance of Eureka Report on the commemoration of the 155th anniversary of the Eureka rebellion, Ballarat, 2- 3 December 2006 The 2006 Eureka Dawn Lantern Walk had the smallest attendance since it began 9 years ago as an artful ceremony for remembering of the blood sacrifice of the Eureka rebellion 152 years ago. Where once there had been hundreds turning up at 3.30 am at the Mining Exchange now there were just five adults, two kids and Jennifer the Maremma. The Eureka152 Dawn Lantern Walk had been dedicated to the suffering of Guantanamo Bay prisoner and Australian citizen, David Hicks, great great grandson of a Stockader. But although the story got a bit of local press and radio during the week, it proved to be a lead promotion. It needed a follow up public commitment to Walk by prominent citizens with more media credibility that me. It was not to be. I was late arriving in Ballarat this year and was strapped for preparation time and resources, Compounding this was the outfall of Ballarat City Council's active disassociation from Eureka celebratory events that it perceived as "politicising Eureka". In the name of avoiding the "politicisation of Eureka", the Ballarat City Council, back in July, had withdrawn funding not only from the Dawn Walk but also the Diggers March and the Dawn Oration, the public place events organized by the Eureka Stockade Memorial Association, which has a commemoration tradition stretching back to 1880 and beyond.Ê The stain of "politicization of Eureka" was the karma arising from the success, both in terms of media interest and turn out, of the 150th anniversary Dawn Walk two years previous when Terry Hicks had been its Leading Light. In the lead up to that event, Murdoch's Herald Sun in Melbourne beat up two successive front page headlines raging about "father of suspected terrorist leading Eureka Walk" and the story had gone national and international. But people voted with their feet and over 1000 people turned out to support Terry Hicks. But the success had come at a cost: the Mayor of Ballarat and its CEO had been embarrassed by the media attention for it caught them by surprise and showed their lack of control of the event. Eureka might be at the centre of their tourism promotion of the City, but the Eureka they wanted to remember was Eureka as colourful historical event, and certainly not Eureka as living tradition of upholding the 'Fair Go" and fighting to defend rights and liberties in present times. Lighting up the way, 3 December 2006 To this end the Eureka Centre had produced a Eureka Day flyer which was also posted to their website. It displayed a pair of children with Eureka flags painted on their faces screaming as if riding the Big Dipper. "Eureka Day 2006 - Catch the Spirit" it proclaimed. But apart from free entry to the Eureka Centre and the Ballarat Fine Art Gallery,neither of them offering screaming material for kids with painted faces, the flyer mentionedÊno other events or entertainment. In fact it was promoting a commemoration as empty of content as the imaging of screaming was empty of significance. The poster itself was posing as a commemoration! Elusive spirit! At Eureka150 we had had won a short lived propaganda victory but now the forces of historical revisionism were on the case and as the promoter of the Dawn Walk I seemed to be declared an outcast in Ballarat in much the same way as David Hicks had been declared an outcast by the Australian government. The Member for Ballarat, Catherine King MP (ALP) for example, once a warm supporter of the Walk and of Terry Hicks, no longer deigned to return calls. Strange, strange, very strange. But it was a beautiful remembrance none the less. A bunch of friends with lanterns walking through the last hours of night and recalling the Eureka story. This we know; the experience of the sacred does not depend on the size of the crowd but rather on the heart quality present. Small is beautiful. Arriving at the Eureka memorial, we Walkers were greeted warmly, indeed applauded, by the forty or so gathered at the Eureka Stockade Memorial for Dr Joe Toscano's Reclaim the Radical Spirit of Eureka project, a circle of friends gathered predawn on the anniversary morning affirming the meaning of Eureka in their lives. My helper mate Frame amd I had put out flags and lanterns around the Memorial to greet them before we had left to set up for the Dawn Walk. In the good lights they looked very beautiful. Banner arrays Eureka Memorial 3 December 2006 After a moving ceremony, the Reclaim circle broke for breakfast. Frame produced the Sunday Age and there on the front page was a headline commitment by the editor to "Bring Hicks Home"; its lead news story and editorial also raged against the Australian government's abandonment of David Hicks. Our dedication gesture may have gone unnoticed in Ballarat but who cares when it just another drop disappearing in to a broad river heading towards to sea. No mention was made in the Sunday Age of Ballarat Eureka commemorations; though there was a story about Ballarat and none too complimentary - a report of violent bashings in Ballarat and dysfunction amongst the underclass of the fair but class riven City. As far as the Sunday Age was concerned, In the two years since the Terry Hicks visit, Ballarat had gone from leadership in liberal democracy to leadership in social dysfunction. The news of the Sunday Age's support for David Hicks was deeply satisfying for Frame and I. Ballarat might have turned its back on the campaign to bring justice to David Hicks but the campaign was sweeping on past me and Ballarat, and gathering momentum. Release is in sight for Hicks now. Howard will want the issue dead before the elections and the sooner the better. David Hicks may well lead the 2007 Eureka Dawn Lantern Walk. Peacebus.com banner design for the Bring David Hicks Home - Day of Action 2pm Saturday 9 December 2006 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& And what did the The Courier, Rural Press' Ballarat daily newspaper, make of the Eureka152 celebrations in its Monday 4 December edition? The front page photo by Jeremy Bannister is of a small boy carrying a paper Eureka flag and walking over leaf litter in a gutter, head down and alone amongst the graves walking away from the camera. It suggested something lost and forlorn. No mention was made of ESMA's Diggers March, the Dawn Walk or the Dawn Oration, Dr Joe's Reclaim event or the CFMEU picnic in Eureka reserve. On page 5 in mugshot a besuited and solemn Ron Egberg, manager of the Eureka Centre, is reported as saying of the (poorly attended) Redcoat reenactment at the soldiers Grave: "I think we have to honour both sides. I think history is heavily biased towards the brave actions of the miners, but if we don't recognise the soldiers we can't honour Eureka in its entirety." Another article reported former deputy prime minister, Tim Fisher, current chair of Tourism Australia, attending the unveiling of the restored grave of John Basson Humffray, the founder of the Eureka Reform League and the leading but by passed moderate during the rebellion. Fisher was also guest speaker at ESMA's Eureka Luncheon. Fisher is quoted as saying: "It was very much part of the early and colourful history of this great country, Australia, and it is a sharp reminder of the many hardships encountered along the way." "We should salute the saga of Eureka as being a critical stepping stone towards establishing one of the world's oldest democracies." A third news report promoted an annual bikers run to Ballarat claiming that more than 300 bikers organised by the Motorcycle Riders Association had flocked at Eureka Reserve on Sunday. For those who witnessed the arrival, maybe 50 bikes would have been a closer actual number. Paul Murphy, the notorious Eureka manic and bane of previous Dawn Walks claimed responsibility for this "Eureka Run". His bolstering had caused ESMA to have 900 sausages on hand in anticipation and a lot left over. Apart from sausage eating, the bikers participated in no particular Eureka ritual but Murphy acclaimed them anyway with appropriate obtuseness: "I am sure if the diggers were around today they would be riding Harleys." Biker Ron Beggs from Geelong was quoted as saying "Eureka's very much for me. It stands up for the rights of people." Good on him. Amongst these quotes Ron Egberg's word sound to me the least authentic. He promotes Eureka as a redcoat re-enactment and this in the name of "balance". Bringing forth the role of soldiers and police is celebrating our "colourful" history, the stuff of re-enactments. But the ideas and principles at stake at the Eureka rebellion recede as the re-enactors buff up. The debate is about costume, manner and historical accuracy. It claims balance by suggesting all participants were human and somehow democratically deserving of equal respect. Equal in challenge for an actor maybe, not equal when it comes to speaking up and speaking out for rights and liberties and being willing to take up arms to defend them. There are culture shaping heros in the Eureka story and there are knaves and yes men. What they have to say and what they stand for in the myths relevant to to our times, is not to be homogenised, nor santitised and rendered a palatable costume drama. Ron does his best but he is blind to to his policitising of Eureka by this move towards balance. A Redcoat Re-enactment of the scale and expense of the Vinegar Hill 150th anniversary is being talked up. Ballarat City council will be asked for funding. Cut funds to ESMA, invest them in Redcoats. In a time of war is a winner! And it is a time of war. Not only are Australian taxes paying for soldiers from the so called Australian Defence Force actively deployed in four different war zones, there is a propaganda war going on too; Howard's Culture Wars and actively sponsored historical revisionism. All of which makes the valiant band who gather at dawn and honour the blood sacrifice of Eureka even more significant, even more valiant. My heart is with them. We reclaimed Eureka Reserve as peoples park that day. No police came by, no politicians and no Ballarat bureaucrats either. It was a relaxed and confident crowd, standing up alive (and maybe later falling down drunk) in Eureka spirit. &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& Amongst the valiant band at the 152nd anniversary, two in particular deserve honouring: Frank Williams and Dr Joe Toscano. Frank worked tirelessly over the Eureka weekend and he was directly involved in producing three different events: The Diggers March, the Dawn Oration and the Eureka Luncheon. He also set up the ESMA BBQ in Eureka Reserve and was involved in the unveiling of the Humffrays grave restoration. Out of respect I helped Frank deploy flags for the first three of his events. Jennifer welcomes a pair Eureka Santas, members of the Miscellanious Workers Union up from melbourne for the Diggers March, 2 December 2006 Jack Harvey (left) narrates the 2006 Diggers and leads the taking of the Eureka Oath at Bakery Hill, Ballarat, 2 December 2006 Professor John Molony winds up the Diggers March after it arrives at the Eureka Memorial, 2 December 2006 Graeme Dunstan helping Frank WilliamnsDecember 2006 Dr Joe Toscano's Reclaim events were the best attended of the public place celebrations and that includes the redcoat reenactment and the invitation only Humffray Grave unveiling. Dr Joe attracted about 40 people compared to the next best drawer, the Diggers March with about 30. Joe was able to promote the Reclaim events in his Anarchist Age Weekly Review, a sometimes weekly newsletter which is both printed and emalied. He also has a wide based listener audience for the program he broadcasts weekly Melbourne community Radio 3CR. For the Reclaim events Joe served as host, facilitator and narrator. He is an excellent speaker and he has passionate stories to tell. he was accompanied by his wife Ellen Jose in motorised wheel chair. It was the fourth annual Reclaim for Dr Joe and as ESMA seemingly declines as an organising force at the Eureka commemorations, Dr Joe grows stronger year by year. I helped Joe's event with flags too and Happy Wheels was his back up vehicle for the "Long" March from the Eureka Reserve to Bakery Hill for the annual Eureka Australia Day Medal Awards then onto the North Ballarat Cemetery. The Reclaim the Radical Spirit of Eureka "Long March" from the Eureka memorial to the Ballarat north Cemetery, 3 December 2006 Dr Joe Toscano announces the Eureka Australia Day medal Awards on Bakery Hill, Ballarat, 3 December 2006 At the Diggers Grave with Dr Joe Toscano, North Ballarat Cemetery, 3 December 2006 At the Soldiers Grave with Dr Joe Toscano, North Ballarat Cemetery, 3 December 2006 When the March came up Sturt St, Dr Joe drew attention to the Australian Flag (the one with Union Jack in corner) flying supreme over the Eureka flag from the grand Victorian tower of City Hall. To Dr Joe, this symbolism summed up what was central to the local culture wars and Ballarat City governance in regard to Eureka. They were second rating it, and in effect denying and denigrating the power of the people. On the street outside in witness of all the Marchers, indeed he had me spruik some about it over the Peacebus.com PA, he resolved to take up the issue and demand an inversion. And maybe blockade Sturt Street next 3 December to drive home his point. May it be so. May it be so, May it be truly so. Graeme Dunstan 6 November 2006 Back in the Peoples Park, 3 December 2006