Violet Street, California Gully primary schools bring Red Ribbon Rebellion to life with Bendigo Historical Society

Students from California Gully and Violet Street primary schools gathered on View Street dressed in historic dress to bring the historic event to life.

Their signs called for the end of the gold licence fee, which miners-past were forced to pay whether they found gold or not.

Read more: Retracing history with 800km walk to Bendigo

The Red Ribbon Rebellion took place in 1853.

Miners began to wear red ribbons in protest at the licence fee.

Thousands signed a petition to then Governor of Victoria Joseph La Trobe asking that the fee be reduced the 10 shillings a month.

When the governor rejected the petition miners held a peaceful protest at Camp Hill, now Rosalind Park, on August 27.

There they met with Commissioners Wright and Panton to offer them 10 shillings for the September licence.

The commissioners rejected this offer but no licence fees were collected the next month, the end of the tax.

Read more: 'It's unprecedented': the comeback of Victorian gold

Bendigo Historical Society president Jim Evans said the rebellion marked a move towards democracy.

Mr Evans said school students were involved because gold was an important part of the local history they studied.

"Bendigo was really, with Chewton, Castlemaine, the centre of democracy in Victoria and therefore Australia," he said.

"Because this is where it was all happening, in Victoria, goldfields of Victoria.

"They were united against this unfair tax which was decided by people who weren't elected, the governor and his landowning mates."

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