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150th Anniversary of the Monster MeetingPrint Page 
The cairn commemorates the 150th anniversary of the Monster Meeting held in Chewton which eventually led to the Eureka Stockade rebellion.
On the 15th December 1851, The Monster Meeting attracted over 12,000 diggers protesting the increased mining licence fee. Predating the Red Ribbon Rebellion in Bendigo (1853) and Eureka in Ballarat (1854) it was a key step towards democracy in the State of Victoria.
Location
| Address: | Pyrenees Highway , Lawsons Bridge, Chewton, 3451 |
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| State: | VIC |
| Area: | AUS |
| GPS Coordinates: | Lat: -37.08216 Long: 144.267922 Note: GPS Coordinates are approximate. |
Details
| Monument Type: | Monument |
|---|---|
| Monument Theme: | Government |
| Sub-Theme: | Dissent |
| Actual Event Start Date: | 15-December-1851 |
| Actual Event End Date: | 15-December-2001 |
Dedication
| Actual Monument Dedication Date: | Friday 14th December, 2001 |
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Mount Alexander Shire Council
This plaque was placed to celebrate the 150th Anniversary of the 10,000 plus strong Gold Diggers Monster Rally against a repressive taxation, which took place adjacent to this site at 4.00 p.m. on 15th December 1851. . .
. . . where, driven by enthusiasm that . . . “though a single twig may be bent or broken, a bundle of them tied together yield not nor breaks” . . . the miners resolved . . . “to unite for strength” and . . . “to act and not to talk”.
The dispute over Miner’s “rights” became people’s rights and led to the achievements of the Rally being recognised as a key step toward the birth of democracy in the State of Victoria
Unveiled at 4.00 p.m. 14th December 2001
[ Names of Shire Council members) ]
