It was November 1872. The North Queensland town of Charters Towers had yet to earn its moniker as the Gold City, but the foundations had been laid after the discovery of gold in a stream by an Aboriginal boy, Jupiter Mosman, the previous year.
In 1871, the town was founded, built up around the prospect of wealth and discovery - each migrating miner vying for their own stake in a future paved with gold.
Charters Towers began to grow - reaching 30,000 people at its peak during the ensuing gold rush.
In 1878, it was gazetted as a municipality, and in 1909 it would officially become a city.
The location of the city had also been a topic of contention, with debates over the management of the field by gold commissioner W.S.E.M. Charters, and over the position of the town - whether it be near the water or the mines.
But it was during the beginning of the gold rush that tensions had begun to flare across the budding town, with businesses seeing less of a retail boom than they anticipated, and hopeful miners struggling to make ends meet.
The local businesses had "over-hyped" the promise of gold, and after a flood of optimistic miners became despondent with the lack of return in their efforts, an animosity between miners and businesses had begun to brew.
According to Great Bush Stories by Graham Seal, a butcher named Adolphus Trevethan had sparked outrage amongst his customers when he raised the price of meat, enraging miners who had previously been successful in obtaining a price cap.
For a second time on November 2 1872, Mr Trevethan brazenly hiked his prices once more, and threatened to shut up shop if customers refused to pay.
This did not sit too well with his impassioned customers, and that night, a hoard of miners descended, demanding the butcher drop his prices or suffer the destruction of his shop the next night.
Their threats did not deter Mr Trevethan - in fact, they incited him.
He raised his price from four pence to six pence - a declaration of war.
The next night, as promised, the miners gathered at the butchers - with cries heard from the crowd: 'pull the - house down'.
"A rope was called for and passed around the wooden building. The crowd strained at the rope, which immediately snapped, probably cut," Mr Seal wrote.
"It was quickly readjusted, 'this time higher up, and after a few hearty pulls and a considerable amount of creaking and groaning on the part of the doomed house, down it came with a crash, amidst great applause. A lull now took place, and the rope was coiled for return, but some out-buildings were discovered, and after a little discussion they were next attacked, and brought down'."
Three men were arrested, but after pressure from the miners, they were released by police that Friday night after their brethren bargained a release with local officers and police commissioner Mr MacDonald.
The miners headed to the pub to celebrate, and readied themselves to return the next Monday, when their bailed mates' case would be tried before an 800-strong crowd.
But Monday morning would escalate into chaos, when Mr Trevethan rode down the street outside the court house - a shot ringing out from the crowd and a mob chasing the butcher, out for blood.
"He rode on in defiance, and dismounting at the North Star, led his horse up to the verandah, and tried to fasten him to the verandah post. The horse, however, had become frightened, and he took him to the yard in the rear," Mr Seal wrote.
"Trevethan turned on the crowd and presented his revolver...a bottle was thrown...(and Trevethan) fired point blank into the crowd. A man (Joe King)...received a slight wound in the neck.
"A rush was made for Trevethan. His revolver seized, and he was carried by the crush which followed into the street...many kicks and blows were aimed at him.
"The miners rushed the court house and 'swore they would have Trevethan out - that they would hang him like a dog.
"The magistrate, Mr Jardine, pushed his way onto the crowded verandah and assured the angry miners that they had Trevethan in custody and that he would be charged with shooting King."
At 3pm, the crowd dispersed.
Mr Trevethan would escape charges and gold commissioner Charters, who had coincidentally fallen ill the day the riots began, was eventually removed from his position.
