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Artist
Charles Alphonse Doudiet
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Born
1832
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Died
1913
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Title
Swearing allegiance to the "Southern Cross"
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Date of Production
1854
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Medium
watercolour, pen and ink on paper
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Dimensions
167 x 232 mm
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Credit Details
Purchased by the Ballarat Fine Art Gallery with the assistance of many donors, 1996
Charles Alphonse Doudiet
Swearing allegiance to the "Southern Cross"
Swearing allegiance to the flag is one of a series of
watercolours from Australian Sketches-Life on the Goldfields, a
sketch book by Canadian Charles Doudiet recording life on the
diggings, and the only known visual document to be made by someone
present at the Eureka Stockade. Doudiet wrote of this scene
that captures the meeting at Bakery Hill when the Eureka flag was
raised for the first time on 28 November 1852:
"The Oath"
Thus - in sight of the Ballarat Camp - did ten thousand men
raise the azure folds of the 'Southern Cross' and on bended knee
swore to defend it. The leader, the brave Lalor who on the
Eureka received seven balls yet lived - he stands on the stump -
There is Vern in a red shirt - on whose head a prize of £300 was
set 'dead or alive'. Black the 'Diggers Advocate' the
unfortunate Ross - basely murdered by a mounted trooper after he
had surrendered - and other leaders too besides they swore…"
And to this Doudiet has added the following footnote:
"Joyce, Penny and Fletcher with myself carried Ross to the Star
where he died of great pain about 2.00am on the 5th".