history unit 4 aos 1 part b workers + women

protectionism

"Victorias leaders increasingly rallied around the idea of 'protectionism', P + T

Australia having best standards

 Australian workers at that time had the highest living standards in the world, achieved in part, by political pressure brought by the workers themselves’- John Hirst

stonemasons union

formed in 1853, and stonemasons in Melbourne notably won the eight-hour day in 1856, setting a precedent for other workers

depression

Late 80s early 90s were years marked economic depression” W Nicol

classes new unionism

Robin Gollan - "…the fundamental reason for the new unionism was the fact that the working class was becoming conscious of itself as a class”.

life improving for classes

·       Dalington “Life for many working-class Australians was improved through several reforms”

strikes maratime

-        Maritime officers went on strike in Melbourne in 1890 and were quickly supported by seamen, wharf labourers and coal miners who refused to dig for non- union ships” P + T

strikes outcome: shearers winning

-              “the shearers of Queensland and new south Wales would win some concessions and in 1890 declared they would no longer shear next to non-union workers” P and T

failure of maratime strike

-              "the failure of the Maritime strike had a debilitating effect on unionism throughout Australia" - W Nicol

maritime strike

1890 - The strike, which also involved shearers and other workers, was a significant event in Australian labor history, highlighting issues of union recognition, wages, and working conditions. The strike ultimately failed to achieve its goals, leading to a defeat for the unions and contributing to the formation of the Australian Labor Part

QLD shearers Strike

1891 - In May 1891 – it has been alleged that at least 3000 striking shearers marched under the Eureka Flag to put forward their protests against poor working conditions and low wages beneath the boughs of the Tree of Knowledge at Barcaldine

Broken Hill Miners Strike

1892- The 1892 Broken Hill miners' strike was a sixteen-week strike which was one of four major strikes that took place between 1889 and 1920 in Broken Hill, NSW, Australia

outcomes of strike sheaers - police

-       a further employer attack on the shearers in 1894 led to violent confrontations thorough Queensland and NSW, in which police and troopers again intervened against the union” P + T

sucess 8 hour movement

-              ‘the successes of the 8 hour day movement...helped to shape Australian society’ - Sean Scalmer

men wages

-              Men were payed living wage regardless of the number of their descendants, the assumption was that they had women and children to support even if they didn’t” P + T

women wages reflecting society

-              “Women’s Low wages reflected social attitudes. Women were expected to devote their lives to their families” Darlington

1912 Fruit Pickers

-              1912 Fruit Pickers Act Justice Higgins decided if women were doing equal work with same outcome, they should have equal wage

participation of women boot factories

-              Boot factories : hands employed (women)

1880: 341

1890: 544

1899: 908 – W Nicol

Women employment

“most jobs were closed to them” – Darlington

-              ‘in the clothing trade they often worked up to 90 hours a week’ - Darlington

women sweating being taken advantage of

-              “The agent was able to profit on her powerlessness in the situation” Pratt et Al - sweating

pay difference

-              Factories- men = 35 shillings Women = 14 shillings

Factory Act

-              1873 - Factory Act – limiting women’s working hours

female involvement unions

“Female involvement n the union movement had been either negligible or nil” – W Nicol

conciliation and arbitration 1904 - labour

labour saw the court as a better means of gaining wage increases and justice then by industrial conflict and strike action” p + t

invalid old age pensions 1908

Specifically, it offered support to individuals over 16 who were permanently incapacitated, as well as men over 65 and women over 60

Charles Kingston SA aiming to “legislate for workers compensation, factory regulation and old age pensions”

maternity allowance act 1912

-              provided a payment to a mother on the birth of her child” - Darlington

Customs Tarrif Act 1902

The Customs Tariff Act 1902 was the first Commonwealth tariff act in Australia, establishing a system of customs duties on goods imported into Australia

working women conditions

-              working women usually suffered even worse conditions” Pratt

8 hour day consideration of women

-              “The 8-hour day did not consider the rights of women, or ponder how the labour of the home might have kept their wives and mothers from their achievement of a full rounded human existence” Sean Scalmer

8 hour day for workers

-              “By claiming the 8-hour day as a ‘right’ workers sought to secure it was universal entitlement to be maintained whatever the ups and downs of economic life” HI Sean Scalmer

working conditions good/equal

-              ‘a widespread idea that it should be a fair society where people were equal’ - Darlington

Harvester Judgement 1907 quote

-              Harvester Judgement 1907: The Harvester judgement as it became known considered the normal needs to be a life of frugal comfort and the average employee as a man who had a wife and about 3 children” P + T

Harvester Judgement + HP

-              ‘Justice Higgins established through the court the principle of a ‘fair and reasonable wage’” - Darlington

Tailoresses Union 1882

• first female union

• ·       On Tuesday 5 December 1882, having just been informed that their piece rates were to be reduced even further, 300 or so women…. put down their work and walked out into Flinders Lane – Thornton

Female Employees Union

"[The Females Employees' Union] is to form a centre of action for working women, to mutually protect and assist each other in case of oppression w nicol

lack of results from strikes

lack of results from the maritime and shearers’ strikes brought activists to realise that industrial action alone would not bring about progress for the working class and that a political party representing the rights of working people was needed. National Museum Aus

growth of unions

·       Ross McMullin argues that the growth of unions during this period (1890s) was owed to a combo of both economic conditions and the hard work of union leaders such as William Guthrie Spence in 1909

creation of labour party

the creation of a political party out of the existing industrial defeat” Macintyre

use of scab labour failure of strike

“using scab labour to undermine the defeat of the strike” P + T

acts

workers compensation act 1893

working womens trade union

1890

HP Bigbee report

Biggee report 1823: NSW established a legislative council - 5 members to assist in law making

HI agitaton for local self government

HI Curthroy and Mitchell: by 1849 the colonies were in uproar, free immigration had grown bringing a more balanced sex ratio, increased marriage rate and a growing desire for respectability and political representation

HI Eureka changing society

Blainey: "gold rushes dramatically changed the societies that hosted them"

hi gold rush brining people together

Blainey: "the goldfields brough together various political traditions that agreed on the threat of corruption and conspiracy and demanded the political empowerment of ordinary men"

HP Events of 11 Nov 1854

Ten thousands diggers met at Bakery Hill on 11th NOV and adopted the following resolutions and principles of the Ballarat Reform League: ‘that it is the inalienable right of every citizen to have a voice in making the laws he is called upon to obey’

30 rebellions died

5 soldiers died

Widespread degree of sympathy for the miners - jury refused to convict them

Things they wanted:

• a full and fair reprsentation 

• manhood sufferage

• no property qualification of members for legilstative council

• payment of members 

• short duration or parliment

formation labor party HI

Blainey: "the divisions between [colonists] were mainly based on different interpretations of agreed and fundamental principles"

debates on federation for women HI

HI Rachal Towns Other colonies were slower to introduce such legislation partially because they were moving towards a federated nation, which they deemed more important than female suffrage

framing of constituion info

The framing of the constitution is the time between 1891 and 1898

attended by key people Henry Parkes NSW , Alfred Deakin VIC, Samuel Grifith QLD , Andrew Inglis Clark TAS from the six self-governing British colonies, (it is the discussion/debates/ views of the colonies)

they met in various places in Australia eg Tenterfield H Parkes.

The next stage was the agreeing/voting in the referendums in the colonies, the draft constitution became part of the Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act 1900,

an act of the British Parliament that was put in place on January 1, 1901,

which meant that Australia became a nation

HI reason for new unionism

Robin Gollan - "…the fundamental reason for the new unionism was the fact that the working class was becoming conscious of itself as a class”.KK4

HI Chartism voting rights

HI Rachel Towns Chartism challenged the traditional exclusion of political representation and voting rights for men who did not poses a particular category of property and wealth

HI refrence of egalsatarinsm

HI Rachel Towns This pattern of giving a voice and political power Soley to the wealthy did not work well with Aus with its new focus on working towards egalitarianism

HI on tarrifs

- Blainey: "tariffs seemed to nourish industries and provided crucial revenue for public works"

HI LIBERALISM WORKING CLASS

STUART MACINTYRE: the hardening of class feeling and the entry of working class into politics posed a new challenge. Under these circumstances the state {ie governent) took on a new and more directly interventionist tasks

- Changing attitudes towards government intervention in the Australian economy

- Egalitarian desires and social laboratory

·

Debates over democracy

1840s–1850s:

Decline in convict transportation to New South Wales after 1840.

Rising demand for colonial self-governance.

1850 – Australian Colonies Government Act (UK Parliament):

Allowed creation of more representative Legislative Councils.

Modelled on the system already developing in New South Wales.

Early 1850s – Constitutional Drafting:

Committees (e.g. led by William Charles Wentworth in NSW) began drafting constitutions - aim to introduce responible government

Mid-1850s – Implementation of Responsible Government:

1856: New South Wales introduced a bicameral (two-house) parliament and achieved responsible government.

1856–1857: Victoria, Tasmania, and South Australia also implemented responsible governments.

Features of Responsible Government:

Ministers were accountable to an elected legislature.

Reduced power of British-appointed officials.

Parliaments were increasingly shaped by the will of the colonial electorate.

political demands squotocracy

In the 1800s, Australia's "squattocracy" – powerful pastoralists occupying vast tracts of land – politically demanded security of tenure for their properties, seeking permanent leases over annual licenses.

They also sought the right to purchase portions of their "runs" and greater control over colonial policy, especially regarding land and labour.

Their political influence, gained through wealth and representation in colonial legislative councils, allowed them to push these demands, though they faced opposition from growing mining populations and urban classes who sought democratic reform and greater land access

demand acess land selection

Access to land selection in Australia during the 1800s began with colonial governments granting land to wealthy pastoralists, leading to the squatting system.

The 1860s saw the introduction of Land Acts incolonies like New South Wales and Victoria, which allowed "selectors" to purchase smaller parcels of Crown land, breaking the monopoly of squatters.

These acts, often allowing conditional purchase and improvements, were a response to public demand forland and allowed working-class citizens and immigrants to become small landowners.

Robertson Land Acts (NSW):

In 1861, Premier John Robertson introduced Acts in NSW to allow free selection of Crown land by ordinary citizens.

These Acts aimed to disrupt the squatters' monopoly and create a new class of small landowners, known as selectors.

Victorian Land Acts:

In Victoria, similar Land Acts were passed in the 1860s, allowing settlers to select and purchase land within agricultural areas

development of union for women

· HI Rachel Towns The WCTU also campaigned for the right to suffrage – in order to increase their political clout – believing women should have power as moral guardians of the country

campaings female sufferage hP

• Rose Scott: can it be good for the boy of 21 to feel that he has a voice in the government of his country and his mother has none? 1892

Rose Scott: it is against every principle of Democratic government that men should legislate entirely for women or that any class should legislate entirely for another class. 1892

HI rode wave of democracy

James Keating “not all women could vote in 1894,1902 or 1908 suffragist activism ensured that white women rode a wave of democratism that allowed the colonists to boast as they were the worlds most enfranchised people”

HI on gainign female franchise

​​Galbally: suffragists belived that, with the achievement of female franchise, they could change the lives of women and children, and make a better, more moral, society

HI methods of lobbying

HI P+ T “there was a feminism of writing, lobbying and advocacy, leagues and associations hard political work and constant activism, a fair proportion of Australian men agreed”

hI aboriginal women vote

Hi Rachel Towns WA followed in suit by 1899 giving white women the vote, although they were less progressive with Aboriginal women

HI chnages after federation women

HI Rachel Towns Changes to the position of women in Australia had come quickly within the first years of federation.

pensions example

    War widows’ pension was introduced in 1914

·   1926 A widow’s pension and child endowment

male workers hours HI

- Blainey: "most male workers laboured for fifty hours per week"

representative government

The granting of representative government to New South Wales in the 1840s, after the end of convict transportation, provided the political avenue for the squatters to voice their demands.

Key Political Demands

Security of Tenure:

The fundamental demand was to move beyond temporary annual licenses for grazing land to secure, long-term leases.

This would provide the stability needed to invest capital and develop their properties.

Right to Purchase:

The squatters wanted the option to purchase parts of the vast leasehold "runs" they occupied, effectively transforming their leases into ownership over time.

Reduced Crown Control:

They sought to be free from the arbitrary power of Crown Land Commissioners and to be governed by the laws of the land as citizens with property rights, rather than being subject to the whims of colonial officials.

Influence on Policy:

Wealthy squatters were able to gain representation in the new, partly elected colonial Legislative Councils.

Their political goal was to influence colonial policy to favour their interests, particularly regarding land and labour.

Continuation of Convict Transportation:

The squattocracy generally supported the continuation of convict transportation, which provided a readily available and cheap labour force for their expansive pastoral operation

expansion voting rights

1851: seperation from NSW

· 1855: the Victorian Constitution creates a bi-cameral parliament & thus responsible self-government

· 1856: introduction of secret ballot

· 1857: manhood suffrage

· 1857: abolishment of property requirements for members of the legislative assembely

participation women property

- In 1882 Married women’s property act was passes allowing women some control over their property and belongings after they were married

partiicpation women equal pay

HI Rachel Towns In 1938 the Australian council of action for equal pay was created, with Muriel Heagney as honorary secretary to lead the way for future and economic changes for women

HI comonwealth franchise act

HI James Keating commonwealth Franchise Act barred most people of colour including indigenous people from voting

hi maternity payment

HI Rachel Towns Interestingly the maternity payment was paid to expectant mothers whether they were married or not giving economic protection without moral judgment

hi women harvester judgement

- HI Rachel Towns Women were largely stymied by the Harvester Judgement of 1907

hi fruit pickers

HI Rachel Towns On the other hand the female wage was endorsed as a lesser sum, in the fruit pickers case of 1912

hi women union

HI Rachel Towns Women were also restricted in the right to improve their pay by the frequent exclusion from trade unions, and even when they were included the unions showed no inclination to fight for improvements in the female wage structure