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The Night They Stormed Eureka
A story about dreams, gold, rebellion ... and an unlikely friendship across time
It's 1854, and the Ballarat goldfields are a place of dreams and rebellion as Sam, a homeless teenager, is called back to the past to join the Puddlehams, who run 'the best little cook shop on the diggings'.
The Puddlehams dream of buying a hotel with velvet seats, while others dream of freedom from the British crown, away from the rule of wealthy landowners and corrupt officials.
As the summer days get hotter, and the miners' protests are ignored with catastrophic results, Sam experiences first-hand the power of a united stand which will change her life forever.
PRAISE FOR JACKIE FRENCH
'Jackie French is excellent at telling history in an exciting way for children' - Burke's Backyard
It's 1854, and the Ballarat goldfields are a place of dreams and rebellion as Sam, a homeless teenager, is called back to the past to join the Puddlehams, who run 'the best little cook shop on the diggings'.
The Puddlehams dream of buying a hotel with velvet seats, while others dream of freedom from the British crown, away from the rule of wealthy landowners and corrupt officials.
As the summer days get hotter, and the miners' protests are ignored with catastrophic results, Sam experiences first-hand the power of a united stand which will change her life forever.
PRAISE FOR JACKIE FRENCH
'Jackie French is excellent at telling history in an exciting way for children' - Burke's Backyard
291 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2009
46 people are currently reading
283 people want to read
About the author
Jackie French
320 books867 followersJackie is an award-winning writer, wombat negotiator and the Australian Children’s Laureate for 2014-2015. She is regarded as one of Australia’s most popular children’s authors, and writes across all genres - from picture books, history, fantasy, ecology and sci-fi to her much loved historical fiction. In her capacity as Australian Children’s Laureate, ‘Share a Story’ will be the primary philosophy behind Jackie’s two-year term.
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
April 3, 2013
I had never read any Jackie French books prior to this year and have found myself borrowing the eBooks regularly from the library. I'm loving how she incorporates children into historical events to give the youth of today an understanding of how life might have been for them in years past. I loved this story of a modern day girl going back to the Eureka Stockade era as she learnt about herself and the strength she had. The experiences she had on the frontier gave her the courage to change her future when she returned.
November 6, 2015
This would be a great readaloud for grade 5/6, tied in to an inquiry unit. Very well written historical fiction that could easily connect younger readers with the events of Eureka.
February 22, 2024
Wish i’d read this sooner - a solid 4 1/2
April 1, 2017
Story of gold, friendship, rebellion, time travel and love. Told from the perspective of a contemporary teenager Sam who travels back in time. I didn't want it to end, I wanted to know what happened to all the characters.
November 12, 2024
This is a time slip book. I'm very fond of this type of story. Jackie French is a master storyteller! She's included topical domestic violence in the present with a loving family in 1854.
Sam is a teenage girl with a terrible home life. Her mother is an alcoholic and her mother's boyfriend bashes her up. She can't go to school and although her friends want to help, she's always been too ashamed to ask.
Sleeping on a gravestone alone, she wakes to a new world. The smells, the sky, the bush, and the people are different. The gravestone she slept on was marked - Sacred to the memory of Percival Puddleham (1801-1884) and his dear wife Elsie (1814-1854) and their most beloved children...
Sam had never known a loving embrace or caring family before. The Puddlehams took her in, ragged jeans, torn shirt and all. Mrs Puddleham showed her how to cook damper to help feed the needy people at the diggings. She acted like she was a boy. She met The Professor, who had been drunk most of the time. George a half-caste boy at the farm where they collected their mutton.
Sam found she was happy to call Mrs Puddleham 'Ma'. The Eureka Rebellion was brewing in the camp. Mr Puddleham joined the meetings and supported the cause against the unjust laws. Miners were regularly stopped and licences had to be shown or they'd be marched away. The miners made a makeshift stockade and made a stand to fight against the troopers.
Knowing a little of the history of Ballarat and the Eureka Stockade, Sam tried to keep Mr and Mrs P away from the Stockade on Sunday morning. She knew the troopers attacked when only a few miners remained in the camp on the Sabbath morning.
When the battle was lost, Sam was upset. The Professor knew she was from the future and she gave him her name and address to keep.
Sam woke up sore and aching on the gravestone. She cleaned away the full inscription. Knowing that she was loved by a family in the past helped her be brave enough to face the future she lived in with strength. She asked for help.
I can't praise Jackie French enough for making history a real place for children today to explore in her books.
Sam is a teenage girl with a terrible home life. Her mother is an alcoholic and her mother's boyfriend bashes her up. She can't go to school and although her friends want to help, she's always been too ashamed to ask.
Sleeping on a gravestone alone, she wakes to a new world. The smells, the sky, the bush, and the people are different. The gravestone she slept on was marked - Sacred to the memory of Percival Puddleham (1801-1884) and his dear wife Elsie (1814-1854) and their most beloved children...
Sam had never known a loving embrace or caring family before. The Puddlehams took her in, ragged jeans, torn shirt and all. Mrs Puddleham showed her how to cook damper to help feed the needy people at the diggings. She acted like she was a boy. She met The Professor, who had been drunk most of the time. George a half-caste boy at the farm where they collected their mutton.
Sam found she was happy to call Mrs Puddleham 'Ma'. The Eureka Rebellion was brewing in the camp. Mr Puddleham joined the meetings and supported the cause against the unjust laws. Miners were regularly stopped and licences had to be shown or they'd be marched away. The miners made a makeshift stockade and made a stand to fight against the troopers.
Knowing a little of the history of Ballarat and the Eureka Stockade, Sam tried to keep Mr and Mrs P away from the Stockade on Sunday morning. She knew the troopers attacked when only a few miners remained in the camp on the Sabbath morning.
When the battle was lost, Sam was upset. The Professor knew she was from the future and she gave him her name and address to keep.
Sam woke up sore and aching on the gravestone. She cleaned away the full inscription. Knowing that she was loved by a family in the past helped her be brave enough to face the future she lived in with strength. She asked for help.
I can't praise Jackie French enough for making history a real place for children today to explore in her books.
February 5, 2024
I don't know how how she does it
Here I am at 42, a parent who has fought their share of battles myself, weeping over a fictional story that can't be real.
I don't know how Ms French does it, but there are so many lessons I wished I had learned as a child in this children's book. Lessons about love and family and the actions that fail but change the world, and about accepting help when you need it. I wish I had accepted help when I needed it.
This. This is literature at its finest. Simple enough for a 10yo to enjoy, but profound enough to teach us something we need to know no matter how old we get.
Here I am at 42, a parent who has fought their share of battles myself, weeping over a fictional story that can't be real.
I don't know how Ms French does it, but there are so many lessons I wished I had learned as a child in this children's book. Lessons about love and family and the actions that fail but change the world, and about accepting help when you need it. I wish I had accepted help when I needed it.
This. This is literature at its finest. Simple enough for a 10yo to enjoy, but profound enough to teach us something we need to know no matter how old we get.
July 5, 2024
Sam is whisked back to the Ballarat goldfields of 1854, where she finds herself caught up in the lives of those who have come with dreams and aspirations of a better life. Significant encounters change her perspective and understanding, not only about this event, but about herself and what is truly important in life.
This fresh retelling of the background and events leading up to the famous Eureka Stockade is funny, engaging and seriously informative. A great gift for the young people in your life!
This fresh retelling of the background and events leading up to the famous Eureka Stockade is funny, engaging and seriously informative. A great gift for the young people in your life!
April 26, 2020
At first, I wasn’t sure if the premise of this story (young girl time travelling back to 1854), but found that I actually enjoyed this aspect as it allowed the author to weave in simple ideas of history inquiry and analysis with regards to perspective, consequence of events and power relations.
June 24, 2022
Another enjoyable Jackie French historical novel about the Eureka Stockade. This one has a time travel element and the violence and concepts are definitely more YA than primary school but it's a great introduction to the history.
May 23, 2017
great book loved it
July 18, 2018
I liked the way this book used time travel to explore the Victorian goldfields, and took a woman's perspective on the Eureka stockade. This was a great read and I recommend it to children aged 10+
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August 16, 2022rrt
August 16, 2023
Thoroughly enjoyed reading this book for the 3rd time (aloud to my youngest son) as we wrap up his unit study on The Gold Rush and The Eureka Stockade.
December 5, 2024
After reading Dune (1) I wanted to read some more science fiction so I read this, and I liked it but it wasn't what is hoped for, but it is still a great book about time travel
January 5, 2021
One of these days, I'll be able to read books like a normal person and not all in one sitting. Today is not that day.
I've read this book many times over, so much that the covers are creased and the pages are crumpled. There's even a bit of flour in the back pages (oops), because those recipes are delicious.
Rereading my favourite childhood books as an adult is always interesting, in that I notice different things. I notice the quality of the writing more now, and whilst 'Eureka' isn't the best I've read, it still holds up. I also used to view it as an adventure Sam was going on, rather than a scared young person finding a safe harbour at any cost. I remembered the line about frozen pizzas in the freezer, but not that it was insinuated Gavin was assaulting her. I'm glad my younger self was able to gloss over it, but I also think it's important that someone might be able to see themself in that, and like Sam at the end of the book, finally reach out for help.
I've always loved a glimpse into history and Jackie French is a deft hand at it. Everyday life is just as, if not more, interesting than important historical events to me. The amount of care and research put into this is obvious, from the bush cooking to characters like the Professor and Happy Jack. I wish she'd explored the interactions with the Indigenous population more, but there's only so much you can put into one book. Also, to my ten year old self? You never grow out of the historical clothes phase. See below.
Costumer's Complaints: None! Well, nearly none. Jackie definitely did the legwork here, so the only comment I have is this. Mrs Puddleham comments at one point that she doesn't wear are corset. While it's possible that this is true, it is very unlikely. A corset is ye olde bra; it is a support garment and everyone wears it. It has more function than 'looks good' (although I imagine that is something Mrs P would value anyway) - it supports your chest and back, it insulates your core, it creates the desired shape for clothes to fit on. Working women wore them, plus size women wore them, pregnant women wore them. If she was wearing petticoats with ruffles, she was wearing a corset too.
Original review:
I just realised I didn't have this book on my shelves which is a travesty because THIS BOOK IS INCREDIBLE. I just have no words to explain my intense love, please read it.
My copy is so well worn from my many rereads and from being in the kitchen while I cook the recipes in the back. For your information, the griddle scones are fantastic and I have been known to eat the entire batch before they make it to the table.
I've read this book many times over, so much that the covers are creased and the pages are crumpled. There's even a bit of flour in the back pages (oops), because those recipes are delicious.
Rereading my favourite childhood books as an adult is always interesting, in that I notice different things. I notice the quality of the writing more now, and whilst 'Eureka' isn't the best I've read, it still holds up. I also used to view it as an adventure Sam was going on, rather than a scared young person finding a safe harbour at any cost. I remembered the line about frozen pizzas in the freezer, but not that it was insinuated Gavin was assaulting her. I'm glad my younger self was able to gloss over it, but I also think it's important that someone might be able to see themself in that, and like Sam at the end of the book, finally reach out for help.
I've always loved a glimpse into history and Jackie French is a deft hand at it. Everyday life is just as, if not more, interesting than important historical events to me. The amount of care and research put into this is obvious, from the bush cooking to characters like the Professor and Happy Jack. I wish she'd explored the interactions with the Indigenous population more, but there's only so much you can put into one book. Also, to my ten year old self? You never grow out of the historical clothes phase. See below.
Costumer's Complaints: None! Well, nearly none. Jackie definitely did the legwork here, so the only comment I have is this. Mrs Puddleham comments at one point that she doesn't wear are corset. While it's possible that this is true, it is very unlikely. A corset is ye olde bra; it is a support garment and everyone wears it. It has more function than 'looks good' (although I imagine that is something Mrs P would value anyway) - it supports your chest and back, it insulates your core, it creates the desired shape for clothes to fit on. Working women wore them, plus size women wore them, pregnant women wore them. If she was wearing petticoats with ruffles, she was wearing a corset too.
Original review:
I just realised I didn't have this book on my shelves which is a travesty because THIS BOOK IS INCREDIBLE. I just have no words to explain my intense love, please read it.
My copy is so well worn from my many rereads and from being in the kitchen while I cook the recipes in the back. For your information, the griddle scones are fantastic and I have been known to eat the entire batch before they make it to the table.
April 30, 2010
A gritty but warm-hearted first hand encounter with the lives of the diggers on the gold mines in Australia, told from the perspective of a contemporary young teenager from a troubled home who finds herself taken back into history, living and discovering it from the inside.
Not an over-glorified picture of history, and the realism isn't always edifying. Several references would not be appropriate for younger readers, but are brief enough to perhaps be managed by well-read twelve year olds and up.
Deeper insights are woven through the story which makes it even richer than a typical narrative: the treasure of books and privilege of reading when so many were illiterate; how power comes not from money or status but from being able to think and question and ultimately discover truth; how history's struggles for justice didn't bring quick victory for those who fought them, but ultimately made the world better for future generations, even if there are still problems; how many people bear terrible suffering heroically and still continue to be optimistic about life and give it their best; how we sometimes need to lean on the help of others rather than stubbornly try to brave things on our own...
Not at all a difficult read
Not an over-glorified picture of history, and the realism isn't always edifying. Several references would not be appropriate for younger readers, but are brief enough to perhaps be managed by well-read twelve year olds and up.
Deeper insights are woven through the story which makes it even richer than a typical narrative: the treasure of books and privilege of reading when so many were illiterate; how power comes not from money or status but from being able to think and question and ultimately discover truth; how history's struggles for justice didn't bring quick victory for those who fought them, but ultimately made the world better for future generations, even if there are still problems; how many people bear terrible suffering heroically and still continue to be optimistic about life and give it their best; how we sometimes need to lean on the help of others rather than stubbornly try to brave things on our own...
Not at all a difficult read
January 23, 2013
Found this book hard to read at first. I didn't know much about the eureka stockade except that it was about diggers trying to find gold. About half way through i started to really enjoy it and was glad i persisted through the start. Lovely book about a teen girl finding herself in another time.
September 19, 2014
Another well-written book from Jakcie French. I like the look into Australia's gold rush and the mystery of Sam(antha)'s journey.
I occasionally found myself slipping out of interest, but I still decently enjoyed it.
I occasionally found myself slipping out of interest, but I still decently enjoyed it.
February 3, 2015
Reading this book I found it interesting what happened at that time. Even though it is a fictional book. I was a bit lost at first because I couldn't connect to what was happening but as the story unfolds the story becomes really good.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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June 3, 2011A girl called Sam was sitting by a gravestone when she suddenly went back in time and met the people whose names were on the gravestone.
December 26, 2012
I felt like I was in the stockade.I also liked the explanations and food to make at the end.
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November 15, 2012AWESOME if u like Jackie French or learning about history( gold rush) its the book for u
January 4, 2014
Amazing.
An amazing book about a girl who goes back in time to the 1950's.
It is sad as well as being brilliant
An amazing book about a girl who goes back in time to the 1950's.
It is sad as well as being brilliant
March 18, 2021
This book was sooooo good!! i enjoyed the journey Sam went on and loved the ending and how Jackie French finished in off. I recommend to lovers of Australian History
June 22, 2018
Cute, but a bit weird
September 10, 2015
Very cool
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews