Ballarat Reform League - Leaders of The Ballarat Reform League

Leaders of The Ballarat Reform League

George Black, a well-educated Englishman was editor of the "Digger's Advocate." Through his paper he worked to form the diggers into a cohesive group which would resist oppressive laws. A Welshman, Humffray, took the conservative view and believed the solution should be gained by constitutional means. Frederic Vern, a Hanoverian, was full of fine talk about righting wrongs and because of the noise he made, was wrongly believed by the Government to be directing the forces. But the man who held the loyalty of the diggers was Peter Lalor, an Irish engineer. Because of his courage and integrity he was a man whom other men would follow loyally. The most picturesque personality among the leaders was an Italian, Carboni Raffaello, and it is to his dynamic and emotional narrative that we owe much of the detail of those bitter days. The sixth man, Timothy Hayes, was an Irishman and a rousing speaker.