The most significant symbol of the Eureka uprising, the Eureka Flag, has returned to Ballarat, in time for the 157th anniversary of the rebellion.
The flag, which was flown by the diggers at the Eureka Stockade on December 3 1854, has been at Artlab Australia in Adelaide since late 2010 for major conservation works to ensure its long term preservation.
The flag has now been installed in a purpose-built climate-controlled display case at the Art Gallery of Ballarat.
Ballarat residents can view the restored flag at the Art Gallery from tomorrow.
Mayor of Ballarat Cr Craig Fletcher welcomed the Flag’s return to Ballarat.
“Ballarat’s Eureka Flag is a national icon that symbolises the birth of democracy in Australia.”
“Earlier this year I was privileged to view first-hand the painstaking process undertaken to restore the Flag. It is wonderful to have it back home once again.”
“With the Eureka anniversary this weekend I encourage all Ballarat residents to take the opportunity to visit the Art Gallery and see the Flag again for themselves first hand.”
Art Gallery of Ballarat Board of Directors chairman Garry Taylor said the Board is very happy that the Flag has come back in the Gallery’s care.
“The Gallery is very proud to be the custodians of this very significant object and we take that responsibility extremely seriously and are very relieved everything has gone smoothly.
“Obviously a conservation project of this nature is a major undertaking and we are very grateful for the financial assistance which has been put in place by the City of Ballarat and the State Government to enable it to be brought to a successful outcome.”
Art Gallery of Ballarat Director Gordon Morrison said that the conservation work on the Flag would help to preserve it for future generations.
“One of our major responsibilities as holders of one of the country’s major art collections is to ensure the welfare of the objects in our care.
“The work which Artlab has undertaken on the Flag means that the best possible balance between the need to preserve the Flag and the desire to display it has been achieved.
“In addition, the Flag’s new Conservation Management Plan makes clear the conditions that need to be maintained for the Flag’s long-term survival a blueprint for the Flag’s storage and display for at least the next generation.”
The Eureka Flag was flown by the diggers at the Eureka Stockade on December 3rd 1854. Legend has it that following the short but bloody battle at the Stockade the Eureka Flag was souvenired by Trooper J King.
In 1895 Trooper King’s widow agreed to lend the flag to the Ballarat Fine Art Gallery. The Eureka Flag was placed on permanent display in the 1970’s and was gifted to the Gallery by the King Family in 2001.
In 2010, Artlab Australia undertook an assessment of the condition of the flag. The inspection determined that it was in need of treatment to ensure its long term stability.
The flag travelled to Adelaide in late 2010 and underwent treatment including the removal of the existing lining, analysis, realignment, attachment of a new lining and attachment to a new display board.
The treatment took more than 600 hours to complete.
Conservation treatment of the Eureka Flag
The Eureka Flag has been returned to exhibition at the Gallery after undergoing extensive conservation treatment which has included removal of the existing lining, analysis, realignment, attachment of a new lining and attachment to a new display board.
In 2010 Adelaide-based conservation experts Artlab assessed the condition of the Flag, which had not been comprehensively assessed since Ballarat textile expert Val D’Angri conserved it in 1973. Artlab’s inspection determined that it was in need of treatment to continue to ensure its long term stability. The Flag came off display and travelled to Adelaide in late 2010 for conservation treatment
How had the Flag been damaged in the past?
Most of the damage that you see on the Flag today was sustained after it was flown at the Stockade and is not related to damage that might have occurred during the battle. The greatest cause of damage is extensive souveniring. There are reports that directly after the battle soldiers trampled on the Flag and tore off pieces as souvenirs. This practice continued for much of its history with the result that the Flag has suffered nearly 40% loss. Where losses to the fabric have straight edges these are assumed to be due to souveniring.
The stories of the various surviving fragments that have been identified are interesting in themselves as evidence of the importance attached to the Flag. There has never been any serious suggestion that these pieces be reattached.
Poor storage prior to 1970 resulted in other damage. There are numerous small holes throughout but most extensively on the stars. These holes are dirty around the edges and although they look as if they might have been caused by gun shot they are very unexcitingly caused by insect damage. They are more extensive in the stars as this fabric is 100% wool.
What is the flag made from?
The Flag has been made from four different fabrics: the blue background is a fine plain weave with a cotton warp and wool weft; the cream cross is twill with a cotton warp and wool weft; the cream stars are 100% wool and the hoist is cotton.
It is believed that these fabrics are likely to be clothing fabrics such as fine wool used for dresses and shirts. There is frequent mention in writing of the mid 1850s of working men wearing blue woollen shirts and it is likely that these types of fabrics would have been available for people to buy in Ballarat.
What did the analysis show?
Before treatment was undertaken,in-situ lightfastness tests were undertaken on the Flag using a microfade tester. This involved focussing a very small spot of strong light onto each fabric and measuring the rates of fading. The findings indicated that although the Flag is still susceptible to light damage it is relatively stable. This information was used to determine the present lighting levels.
Tests using a Fourier Transform Infra-Red spectrometer confirmed that the dye used in the blue fabric was Prussian blue, which has the unique characteristic that it will regain colour when placed in the dark. This makes it a very stable and resilient colour as is evidenced by the good condition of the colour in the Flag.
There is extensive damage to the left hand side of the Flag and a series of repairs had been undertaken in this area, including a non-original machine-sewn seam – all the original seams in the Flag were hand-sewn. This seam positioned the left hand side of the Flag incorrectly.
What treatment was undertaken?
The first step for treatment was to remove all the stitching from the previous conservation and the non-original machine sewn seam.
A new lining of fine plain weave wool was then dyed by local Ballarat company Bulace Dyeing to a mid-grey colour. This lining was selected because it is wool like the Flag and it is a good aesthetic match. The lining was placed underneath and the Flag carefully aligned and was repositioned so that it more accurately reflected the original layout. The result of this repositioning is that the overall size of the Flag has increased to 4 metres long and 2.58 metres high.
The Flag was then meticulously hand-stitched to its new lining with polyester thread finer than a human hair using contemporary conservation stitches. A purpose-built sloped table was constructed to assist the stitching process. The stitching took over 300 hours to complete.
How was the Flag prepared for display?
A new backboard was constructed out of aluminium which does not give off harmful vapours. It consists of an aluminium frame with inserts of very light but rigid aluminium honeycomb panels faced with aluminium. The backboard was then covered with two layers of washed fabric.
The lined Flag was then hand sewn onto the new fabric covered backboard. It was sewn around all edges and in staggered vertical lines throughout the centre. The Flag has been displayed at an angle of no less than 75° from horizontal, giving it more physical support.
How will the Flag been cared for into the future?
There is now a Conservation Management Plan which addresses the key elements instrumental in the ongoing preservation of the Flag including environmental conditions for display and storage, display case design, controlled access, disaster management, inspection and maintenance.
The conservation treatment took over 600 hours of work by the conservators at Artlab. The conservation, the changes to the display and the implementation of the Conservation Management Plan will help to ensure that the Flag will continue to be preserved for future generations