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Peter Lalor was an Irish immigrant, born on 5 February 1827, who initially worked on the construction of the Melbourne - Geelong railway line, but soon joined the gold rush and began mining in the Ovens Valley, and then in Ballarat. Due to the deplorable conditions on the goldfields, and the lack of miners' rights and representation in government, Lalor was unofficially "elected" on 30 November 1854 to be a more militant leader and voice for the diggers. Lalor led the rebellion that later became known as the Eureka Stockade. Although the rebellion itself failed in its objective, it gained the attention of the Government. A Commission of Enquiry was conducted and changes were implemented. These included abolition of monthly gold licences, replaced by an affordable annual miner's licence. The numbers of troopers were reduced significantly, and Legislative Council was expanded to allow representation to the major goldfields. Peter Lalor and another representative, John Basson Humffray, were elected for Ballarat. Later, Lalor was elected Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Victoria. For these reasons, the Eureka Stockade is regarded by many as the birthplace of Australian Democracy. (source: today.wmit.net - December 3)

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