HISTORIANS will note the 167th anniversary of the Red Ribbon Rebellion in Bendigo today, though they will not be able to do so with the usual parade through the city centre.
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Children have paraded through Rosalind Park in a hands-on history lesson every anniversary for years.
Pandemic safety concerns and social distancing restrictions made the event impossible this year, the Bendigo Historical Society's Jim Evans said.
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"It's disappointing that we can't reenact the rebellion again this year with the help of the many schools involved, and the volunteers who generously donate their time," he said.
Bendigo miners took to the streets in 1853 for the peaceful Red Ribbon Rebellion in protest of compulsory mine licensing fees many said were too expensive.
Thousands had signed a petition calling on then-governor Joseph La Trobe asking for the fee to drop to 10 shillings a month.
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When La Trobe refused, miners gathered en mass at Camp Hill, now Rosalind Park, on 27 August.
Commissioners refused an offer to pay 10 shillings for September licences, but did not collect any taxes the next month.
Mr Evans said the rebellion marked a major move towards democracy in what would later become Australia.
Tom O'Callaghan
I grew up in Bendigo and I want to tell your stories.
I grew up in Bendigo and I want to tell your stories.
