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Up until 1886 the sheep shearers in Australia worked under
The Master & Servants Act whereby all disputes were settled
under that act and naturally the “Master” had
ultimate power.
In 1886 the Amalgamated Shearers Union Of Australasia was
formed at Creswick, near Ballarat in Victoria. Under the guidance
of W. G. Spence the Union quickly grew and the sheep shearers
of Australia gradually gained a voice.
The big strikes of the early 1890’s resulted in some
men being imprisoned however some of those men eventually
became elected to parliament after the Labor Party was formed
as a result of the shearers actions. It has often been said
that the Eureka Stockade protest was the formation of Democracy
in Australia and it can also be asserted that the sheep shearers
gave birth to the working person having a voice in the Australian
industrial community with the formation of the Amalgamated
Shearers Union Of Australasia and then the Australian Labour
Party. The history of the Union is also a very collectable
item as well. |
