Peter Lalor was born on the 5th of February 1827 in Tinakill

He grew up in Ireland to the age of 13 when he left to Australia to escape the Great Famine (which was a disease that spreader through potatoes).

Peter arrived in Australia in 1841 and he found work on the Melbourne-Geelong railway. So he could earn a wage while in Australia.

After working on the railway for a number of years Peter moved to the Eureka Goldfields in 1853 after hearing about the Victorian gold rush.

He joined the Ballarat Reform League, formed by miners on November 11, 1854, to protest high license fees, police mistreatment, lack of representation, and shortage of land.

On November 30 the miners organised to fight, and he was chosen as the leader. 

He and other rebellious miners were driven out of the Eureka Stockade on December 3rd, and Peter was wounded in the assault and lost his arm.

After the Stockade Peter went into hiding in the bush for several weeks.