Charles Harris
Contents
Background
The Charles Harris who signed the Bendigo Goldfields Petition is thought to be the person born in Cornwall in 1815 to John Harris. His sibblings were Johan and Catherine.
Working as a miner at the Carn Brae Copper Mine he decided to better himself to immigrated to Australia with his family ni 1849. Although he was unable to read and write his children were educated from an early age. He was initially employed by Mr McCann the contractor responsible for building the Geelong Gaol. While working on the gaol foundations Charles Harris purchased land in Noble Sreeet, Chilwell and started to build his family home. Two year later he travelled to Burra Burra, South Australia with his family working in a large copper mine for almost a year. Once gold was discovered in Victoria he returned with his family and sought his fortune at Forrest Creek (Castlemaine).[1]
Charles Harris dies seven years after arriving in Australia. He was buried in an unmarked grave at Geelong Cemetery where his two infant children were also buried.[2]
Goldfields Involvement, 1853-1854
Charles Harris and his party had success on the Forrest Creek Goldfield and he returned home with several hundred pounds. He purchased more land, this time at marnock Vale and built his family a larger home.[3]
Joining with another mining party Charles Harris tried his lucj on the Ballarat Diggings, and again had success. On one of the party's trips back to Geelong they were held up by bushrangers who were unable to find the well hidden gold, and the booty arrive in Geelong.[4]
Charles Harris signed the 1853 Bendigo Goldfields Petition. Agitation of the Victorian goldfields started with the Forest Creek Monster Meeting in 1851, but what became known as the Red Ribbon Movement was centred around the Bendigo goldfields in 1853. The Anti-Gold License Association was formed at Bendigo in June 1853, led by George Thomson, Dr D.G. Jones and 'Captain' Edward Browne. The association focused its attention on the 30 shillings monthly licence fee miners were required to pay to the government. They drew up a petition outlining digger grievances and called for a reduced licence fee, improved law and order, the right to vote and the right to buy land. The petition was signed by diggers at Bendigo, Ballarat, Castlemaine, McIvor (Heathcote), Mount Alexander (Harcourt) and other diggings. The 13 metre long petition was presented to Lieutenant-Governor Charles La Trobe in Melbourne on the 01 August 1853, but their call for a reduction in monthly licence fees and land reform for diggers was rejected. The diggers dissatisfaction erupted into the Red Ribbon Rebellion where agitators wore red ribbons on their hats symbolising their defiance of the law and prohibitive licence fees.
Post 1854 Experiences
See also
Ballarat Reform League Inc. Monuments Project
Further Reading
References
External links
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