Ballarat Heritage Services
Photograph - Colour, Clare Gervasoni, Joe Toscano speaks at Ballarat Trades Hall, 2016, 04/06/2016
The Ballarat Trades Hall Eureka Flag
The flag originally flew from the flagstaff of the Trades Hall Building in Camp Street Ballarat on 03 December 1942. This prompted many enquiries to teh Ballarat Courier newspapper. The Courier reported that the flag was, in fact, a replica of the origina Eureka Stockade flag. The newspaper reported:
"It (seemed) very strange that the town in which Eureka made a name for Australoa and its effort to get freedom from the control for the ordinary man, did not recognise the flag that flew which the first move for freedom was fought out againt big odds."
The Trdaes Hall Eureka FLag, made of cotton material, was uded in Union marches during hte 1940s. In later years it was all but forgotten, until in 1981 it was brought to the office of the ten MHR for Ballarat, John Mildren by members of the family that the flag maker boarded with in Ballarat.
David Miller, who had a keenintered in the Eureka story and was electorate officer for John Mildren, became custodian of the flag for many years and presented it to the Ballarat Trades Hall for display.
In 1994 the Ballarat Trdes Hall Eureka Flag traveled Australia as part of a touring Eureka collection at the time, the Secretary of the Ballarat Regiona Trades and Labour Council, Graeme Shearer said "...The Eureka Fag then, as it does not, sybolises the struggle for basic rights and democracy.
On Wednesday 11th July 2001, following a ceremony to mark the refurbishment of the Galloway Monument, the Ballarat Trades Hall Eureka Flag was unveiled at a function in the Ballarat TradesHall by President of the Ballart Trades & Labour Council, Rhonda Young and Premier of Victoria, Steve Bracks.
Joe Toscano speaks at Ballarat Trades Hall while standing in front of a replica Eureka Flag.joe toscano, eureka flag, ballary trades hall