Buckland Riot MemorialPrint Page 
The memorial stele commemorates the Chinese who were killed during the riot in the Buckland Valley when thousands of Chinese miners were attacked and driven from the goldfields. It is also dedicated to those who lie in unmarked graves in the cemetery and throughout the Buckland Valley.
The large community of Chinese (it was estimated to number 3000 at its peak in 1857) led to an anti-Chinese riot. Chinese fled from the area and Robert O`Hara Burke (of Burke and Wills fame), who was working as a policeman at Beechworth, was sent to the diggings to restore order. As the easy gold disappeared the town moved firstly to reef mining and later to dredging until by the early years of the twentieth century it had outlived its usefulness. The village was eventually removed.
This significant race riot has been compared to the Eureka Stockade uprising in size and intensity. Over 750 miner’s tents were destroyed, stores belonging to the Chinese were burnt down and looted and the newly erected Chinese Temple “Joss House” was reduced to ashes. Many details of this event are still debated as court records have mysteriously disappeared from the Beechworth Court House. The precise number of Chinese fatalities is unknown.
Buckland Riot Article 1887Location
| Address: | Buckland Valley Road, Buckland Cemetery, Buckland, 3740 |
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| State: | VIC |
| Area: | AUS |
| GPS Coordinates: | Lat: -36.824756 Long: 146.852134 Note: GPS Coordinates are approximate. |
Details
| Monument Type: | Monument |
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| Monument Theme: | Government |
| Sub-Theme: | Dissent |
| Actual Event Start Date: | 04-July-1857 |
| Actual Event End Date: | 04-July-1857 |
Dedication
| Actual Monument Dedication Date: | Sunday 1st July, 2007 |
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[ Inscription in Mandarin ]
This memorial was dedicated at a public ceremony on Sunday 1 July 2007
The Buckland Chinese Australian Heritage Project was funded by Victoria`s Heritage Grants and private donations.
The project was executed and administered by the Chinese Australian Family Historians of Victoria Inc.
"Respected Always"
This memorial stele is dedicated to the Chinese who lost their lives and to those who lie buried in unmarked graves or unknown sites throughout the Buckland Valley.
It serves also as an acknowledgement of the family members and friends who mourn these deaths or who forever question the unexplained disappearances
