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In December 1854, gold miners or diggers (which later became a word to describe all Australia's fighting defence force personnel) took up arms and rebelled by building and defending the Eureka Stockade in their campaign against excessive taxation and undemocratic government. There were a fair few people from California among them. Wikipedia reports that: "a contingent of 200 Americans under James McGill arrived at 4 pm in the afternoon" of December the second, but most left before the Battle the early the next day, the Sabbath, a time which the British colonial forces used for their advance in part because...

During the recent kerf lawful (I meant "kerfuffle" but I like that better) over Trump's desire for a border wall or barrier or whatever the hell they are calling it now, Dan Crenshaw — whom I may like almost as much as I like that equation — tweeted about the wall. "Ah yes, the tunnel myth. Because it’s so easy to build tunnels. No one would ever notice. Might as well just do nothing, now that the tunneling option has been exposed. Can we have a serious conversation now? That’d be great. Jonathan Swan ✔ @jonathanvswan Per source in the...

An Instagram star who teaches other women how to date billionaires has revealed how she's maintained her affluent lifestyle through 'the men she's been with.' Anna Bey, 32 - who also goes by the moniker JetSetBabe - explained how she transformed her looks in order to be accepted into high society, including undergoing a nose job. She said women 'shouldn't be judged' for living off their rich husbands, but added that she wasn't a fan of the word 'gold-digger'. However, the London-based blogger, who is dating a banker, added that she would struggle to be with a man who wasn't...

A man in England went exploring with a metal detector and made the discovery of a lifetime: an exquisitely preserved Roman-era grave filled with artifacts, including bronze jugs, mosaic glassware, coins and hobnails from a pair of shoes, all dating to about A.D. 200. The grave likely belonged to a wealthy individual, said Keith Fitzpatrick-Matthews, the archaeology and outreach officer for the North Hertfordshire District Council. Once Fitzpatrick-Matthews and his colleagues located the grave, they also found evidence of a nearby building, likely a shrine or temple, attached to a villa. The man with the metal detector, Phil Kirk, found...

To prevent the diggers of Hamas’ tunnels from revealing their locations, Hamas recently executed dozens of diggers, according to a report. The report sites sources in Hamas-controlled Gaza, who revealed that the executions took place even after the terrorist organization took a number of steps to prevent site locations from leaking out. Workers, who routinely dug between 8-12 hours a day for a salary of $150-300 per month, were taken blindfolded to and from the tunnel excavations. In addition, diggers were strip searched to make sure they had no cameras or recording devices hidden in their clothing or on their...

"It was tense, hot and arduous ... it was kill or be killed." For sniper team leader Sergeant Garry Robinson - a veteran on his third deployment to Afghanistan - it was the most intense fighting he had experienced. The commandos were surrounded by more than 100 Taliban fighters and were pinned down by withering rocket propelled grenade and machinegun fire at one of the enemy's most secure fortresses in southern Afghanistan, the village of Chenartu in Shah Wali Kot. The rate of fire raking the dangerously exposed Diggers shocked even the most hardened soldiers in their ranks. ..... The...

... The report, written last year, was distributed by the Chief of Army, Lieutenant General David Morrison, to serve as a wake-up call to the troops. It said there were "examples throughout Australia's commitment in Afghanistan of soldiers sunbathing in tactical positions sitting in chairs and facing inwards in enemy areas, listening to music in tactical positions," according to Fairfax Media. There were cases of "kicking footballs in tactical positions, doing physical training in enemy areas, standing around bonfires in proximity to the green zone by night, and greeting helicopters at landing zones in thongs and T-shirts". Other soldiers were...

AN Australian soldier has told how he shot dead the rogue Afghan soldier who killed three Diggers and wounded seven others at a morning parade in Kandahar province last month. Corporal Nathan Searle told Fairfax Media of his role in the bloody shooting three weeks ago that killed Lance Corporal Luke Gavin, Corporal Ashley Birt, Captain Bryce Duffy and an Afghan interpreter. "Out of all the people that were here, I was the only one who wasn't shot. They all went down," Cpl Searle said. About 40 Australians live on the base built to block the flow of insurgents from...

UPDATE 11.05am: TWO Australian soldiers have been killed by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan, it has been confirmed. Acting Defence Force chief David Hurley confirmed the deaths at a press conference this morning. It is first multiple casualty suffered by Australian troops serving overseas since the Vietnam War. The men were from the Brisbane-based 2nd combat engineer regiment of the Mentoring Task Force, which works with Afghan troops. One was killed instantly when an improvised explosive device (IED) detonated yesterday morning in the Mirabad Valley. The second was given emergency first aid by his fellow soldiers and taken to a...

THREE Australian soldiers were almost killed when their armoured vehicle was blasted by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan. Two other Diggers also were wounded in the devastating blast near the main Australian base at Tarin Kowt. The infantry soldiers from the 1st Mentoring Task Force were blown up during a routine patrol as summer approaches and the "killing season" begins in the war against the Taliban. The three critically wounded soldiers were treated by combat medics and flown by helicopter to a nearby Australian-US medical centre on Tuesday night.

Today we celebrate the 109th birthday of the Australian Army, one of the countries oldest and most important institutions with a commemorative service at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra. Chief of Army, Lieutenant General Ken Gillespie spoke to the officers and soldiers about the importance of the occasion. “As the Australian Army marks its 109th year, we pause to remember the great work of this fine institution and reflect on the manner in which the Australian Army has served this nation, said Lieutenant General Gillespie. “We have a great deal to be proud of. “We will continue to grow...

HE Rudd Government needs to show some heartfelt humanity to our soldiers fighting overseas. A bureaucratic decision has left frontline troops without the satisfaction of knowing that if they die, an unborn son or daughter could have a chance at life. As revealed in the Herald Sun, soldiers facing death on the battlefield have been told their semen will not be stored at Defence Department expense. Worse, at least 10 samples that were frozen and left behind by troops going to Afghanistan have been destroyed. This gutless decision comes as the Government commits more troops to the Afghan war. It...

Afghanistan: Aussie and British gunners engage the Taliban. Australian Artillery Gunners in Helmand at Forward Operating Base Armadillo. Australian Artillery gunners, from the Darwin-based 8/12 Medium Regiment are deployed as part of the United Kingdom's Task Force Helmand. The 15 Australian gunners are with the UK task force under a bilateral arrangement to further enhance the training and experience of the Australian Army's offensive support capability. Picture: Australian Defence Force/ Gary Ramage Afghanistan: SAS troops of Reconstruction Task Force 4 (RTF4), Australia's contribution to the Netherlands-led Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT), on partol in Oruzgan Province, where a number of soldiers...

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has made a surprise visit to Australian troops in Afghanistan. The secret diversion was made as Mr Rudd travelled to India and was kept under wraps because of security fears. Mr Rudd stayed with the troops in Tarin Kowt overnight and marked Remembrance Day with them in a ceremony. The Prime Minister's visit came just hours after an Australian soldier was wounded by a roadside bomb near Tarin Kowt. Australia currently has about 1,500 troops in southern Uruzgan province. Mr Rudd used the Remembrance Day ceremony to praise the sacrifice of the 11 Australian soldiers who...

AN INQUIRY into the death of an Australian soldier in Afghanistan has confirmed what Diggers have always known - Afghan National Army troops are unreliable. The Daily Telegraph reports an inquiry into the death of Corporal Mathew Hopkins found major deficiencies with the performance of ANA soldiers being trained by the Diggers. The 21-year-old new father died from a single enemy shot to the head after the joint Australian/ANA patrol was ambushed about 12km north of Tarin Kowt on March 16. Cpl Hopkins was the first member of an Australian Army training team to die since the Vietnam War and...

With the Americans on their way out of Iraq, Afghanistan, where, if anything, the battle with the Taliban is worsening of late, the rising number of civilian deaths in that conflict has become a major concern. It also appears to have triggered increasing hostility towards foreign troops in the country, including Australians. Sophie McNeill travelled to Afghanistan to find out what effect this euphemistically-labelled 'collateral damage' - code for civilian deaths - is having on attempts to win the hearts and minds of the Afghan people. A warning - Sophie's story contains some pretty strong language. REPORTER: Sophie McNeill Australian...

TAXPAYERS have paid out more than $350,000 in "honour payments" to families of locals accidentally killed or injured by Australian troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. Dozens of non-combatants have been shot by Diggers since the Iraq campaign began in April 2003. Rapid "act of grace" payments can prevent revenge attacks. Defence refuses to divulge how much is paid to each family but has told The Daily Telegraph $126,442 had so far been paid out to Afghani families. The amount covers more than 20 individuals for an average of about $6000 each. The overall figure for Iraq is $216,417 for about...

THE bravery, loyalty and endurance of Australian service personnel was honoured around the country today at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, and as the world marked 90 years since the end of World War I. Prime Minister Kevin Rudd gathered with about 3000 people in Canberra to remember the more than 102,000 Australian servicemen and women who have died in war. Mr Rudd said that despite the mass casualties suffered in World War I and World War II, the world remained in conflict. "War has continued and the innocent continue to die causing us...

FOR 10 years, the grim visage of Australia's greatest soldier, Sir John Monash, stared across the scene of his triumphant "perfect battle" at Le Hamel, on France's Western Front. Now it is gone - a victim of shoddy workmanship and an unfortunate likeness to Adolf Hitler. In its place is a $6 million memorial to Australia's World War I Diggers that will be dedicated today. Monash's face may have been removed from the memorial, but his deeds have not been forgotten. The story of his meticulous planning and training for his first major attack after taking command of the five...

SAS signaller Sean McCarthy lived in many places in his 25 years; yesterday, to the sound of military bagpipes, he was buried in his final resting place. Nearly 1000 people attended the funeral, at the Sacred Heart Catholic Church at Crystal Waters on the Gold Coast, of Signaller McCarthy, who was killed last week by a roadside bomb while he was on patrol in southern Afghanistan. Earlier, there had been a private family service for Signaller McCarthy, the sixth Australian soldier to be killed while on active duty in Afghanistan. Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and Opposition Leader Brendan Nelson attended...