Historical information

Media Release 29 January 2016
Advocate of Racism to burn at Eureka Dawn

A cardboard effigy of Senator Pauline Hanson, will burn at the Ballarat Eureka Stockade Memorial next Eureka Dawn 3 December.
For eight years now effigy burning has become an integral and flamboyant part of the annual 3 December Eureka remembrance, part of the Reclaim the Radical Spirit of the Eureka Rebellion program organised by Dr Joe Toscano, medical practitioner, broadcaster on Melbourne community radio 3CR and Australia's best known anarchist.

Dr Joe's Reclaim program is far and away the best attended, most visible and best known of the on-the-day and on-the-site Eureka commemorations.
"Each year as Eureka season approaches, a conversation takes place amongst Eureka lovers asking: who is this season's most notable oppressor of our rights and liberties?" said effigy maker and long time peace activist, Graeme Dunstan of Peacebus.com.
"We ask Radio 3CR listeners for example: who is the face of tyranny in this time?"
“So many wannabe tyrants to choose from, of course but after much discernment and in the interests of gender balance, Senator Pauline Hansen, has been chosen,” said Mr Dunstan.

“While Immigration Minister Peter Dutton (burned in effigy at last year’s Eureka Dawn), has become the face of refugee detention cruelty, Pauline Hanson has become the face and voice of popular advocacy for racial discrimination.
“We want the burning of Pauline in effigy to be seen as a repudiation of racism and attempts to associate the Eureka flag with racial discrimination and anti refugee and migrant policies.
“We want to assert that, engaged in the Eureka Rebellion of 1854 were men and women of 20 different nationalities all of them migrants. Multiculturalism prevailed during the Eureka rebellion and proudly prevails in the civil society of Ballarat to this day.”

The fair go ethos arose and went viral with the blood sacrifice of the Eureka rebellion. Many the government lackey or rich man’s agent arrogant enough to deny it, but it ever runs deep in the people for it is the highest virtue one might claim as an Australian. A fair go for all.

Physical description

Colour photographs of the burning of a cardboard effigy of Pauline Hanson at dawn on Eureka Day, 03 December 2016. Pauline Hanson was chosen as the effigy to be burnt by the Anarchist Media Alliance at Eureka Dawn because she was an advocate of racism.