- Title
- From gold field to municipality : The establishment of Ballarat West 1855-1857
- Creator
- Cartledge, Graeme
- Date
- 2018
- Type
- Text; Thesis; Masters
- Identifier
- http://researchonline.federation.edu.au/vital/access/HandleResolver/1959.17/169301
- Identifier
- vital:13969
- Identifier
- https://library.federation.edu.au/record=b2770328
- Abstract
- This thesis examines the establishment of the Ballarat West Municipality in the years of 1855 – 1857 and the factors that contributed to the introduction of local self-government in the immediate aftermath of the Eureka Stockade. Underlying the study is the changing administrative requirements necessitated by the transition from a temporary gold field to a permanent city. A central theme explored in relation to this development is that it was a consequence of the emerging culture of modernity of that era precipitating radical political changes in local government that began with the 1835 British Municipal Corporations Act. This theme is expanded to highlight the reform of local government in the Victorian era in response to urbanization and the need for modern and rationalised methods of managing the new towns and growing cities. The difficulty in making and sustaining such progressive changes in Britain is contrasted with the eager adoption of the concept of progress and the new Victorian Municipal Corporations Act of 1854 on the Ballarat goldfields. The question as to why the Municipality was established is answered by exploring the connection between the failure of the Goldfields Commission at the end of 1854 and the belief held by many, that taxes should be accompanied with political representation and should be spent where they were collected. This study exposes the remarkable story of how the first elected councillors, starting from scratch, quickly established administrative systems and brought order to a community emerging out of turmoil. The process of how the municipality was established is uncovered by an extensive survey of the council minutes, the media, council correspondence and public records.; Masters by Research
- Publisher
- Federation University Australia
- Rights
- Copyright Graeme Cartledge
- Rights
- Open Access
- Rights
- This metadata is freely available under a CCO license
- Subject
- Gold field; Municipality; Ballarat West; Victoria; Australia
- Full Text
- Thesis Supervisor
- Beggs-Sunter, Anne
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