T he origins and memory of the 8-Hours

Movement in Melbourne.
Quite recently on the 4th of September in Western Australia there was a proposed strike of workers in the

childcare industryi. In general, strikes are: Busy rallies and loud protests. These are all for the fight for

better conditions and fairer treatment. Its common to hear, solidarity forever being sung and to see

better wages & conditions boldly displayed on a protestors placard. Nurses strikes, Paramedics strikes,

Teachers strikes are all things that happened in recent for better treatment for employed peopleii.

In Australia, there is a tradition of workers fighting for better rights, treatment and a more equal way.

This is something that has continued to happen since the early days of Australia. Im working 9-5,

working hard to make a living as sung by Dolly Parton, resonates an early tradition that unionists, and,

workers have continued to strive for.

Trade Union banner reads: 8 hours labour 8 hours recreation 8 hours rest,
1873. Credit: State Library of Victoria. Source: Trove
8 hours labour 8 hours recreation 8 hours rest iii is the simple philosophy behind the 8-hour day

movement; it encapsulates a simple theory of how people should live. In the Australian setting, and, close

to home in the Victorian setting, this movement and push was something that occurred in the midst of

young Victoria during the Goldrush. This history of the 8-hour movement is something that has the
tendency to be forgotten, and, not remembered when thinking about early workers rights in Australia.

Even though Labour day commemorates the 8-hour movement, and is something that is celebrated.

The 8-hour Movement happened in Australia has its birth in Melbourne in 1856, which in 1856 was the

capital of Victoria, and continues to be so. In Victoria there are there are plaques and statues that

commemorate the early movement. For example, the statue on Russell Street, and, the statue in Sturt

Street Ballarat are examples of commemoration of the 8-hour movement, and, what it has achieved for

Victoria and wider Australia. This illustrated essay will explore the cause, the origins and orchestration

of the 8-hour movement in Melbourne, and, how it has perpetuated into the 21st century.

What caused for the 8 hour movement?

What situations at the time caused for the movement in Melbourne?

The 8 hour movement began on the 18th of February, 1856. This was also during the Goldrush in regional

Victoria in towns such as Ballarat, Bendigo

and Maryborough. There was a decline in
workers rights and liberties during the time
of the goldrush and work in cities in the
1850s. In the building and the retail
industry in the late 1840s. Shops were open
for 14 hours at a time and shop assistants
were constantly on call and did not have
We have come 16,000 miles to better our
conditions and not to act the mere part of
machinery; and it is neither right not just
that we should cross the trackless regions
of immensity between us and our
fatherland, to be rewarded with excessive
toil, a bare existence and a premature
grave - James Galloway, The Age, 31st
March 1856.

fixed meal breaks, it was common for shop assistants to work 10 hour days with very small breaks. In

England and Scotland, working long hours whilst being in the cool conditions was more bearable in

contrast to Australian conditions.iv So it was physically unbearable for workers in Australia to work in

these conditions. Other freedoms that caused for workers distrust was the licencing disputes at the

Eureka Stockade. These mistreatments pioneered the rights of workers to be questioned in Australia,

and, allowed for uprisings of workers. Examples of uprisings and pioneering of workers rights include

the birth of The Early Closing Association in 1857, and, the 8-hour movement in 1856.
What did the 8 Hour Movement originate from?

The society that headed the 8-hour movement in Melbourne were the Operative Stonemasons Society.

This society was formed in November 1850, however due to a decline in membership it suspended

activity in 1851. This was because of the Goldrush pushed the union movement into the background. The

society was revived in February 1855.v.

On a global perspective, there were other events happening at the time the Industrial Revolution was

coming to its end in the United Kingdom, and, many

different things were happening for the working

class and for workers right hts in general, such as in

New Zealend, Samuel Parnell who established the 8-

hour day in New Zealend. At the time of the

movement, in Victoria, there was a surge in the

discovery of gold in Victoria. Towns like Ballarat,

Bendigo, Castlemaine and Maryborough are all

examples of towns which received this insurgence of

new migration, and, these towns represent the

initial phase of non-Aboriginal settlement in

Victoriavi.As with any migration, this brought a

8 Hours monument in Russell Street,
plethora of new people from varying places in the Melbourne. Credit: Anne Holmes

world. Historian Weston Bate argued that Victoria was swamped by migrants and there was a mix of

foreigners that migrated to Australia during the time of the goldrush. England, Ireland, China are

examplesvii. People tested their luck on the goldfields, and people just packed up and left their jobs to

head to the goldfields. This work deteriorated because people simply werent having as much luck as

they hoped for and wanted a more sustainable income. Historian Helen Hughes argues that this idea of

testing your luck was so common that there was a constant change in occupation for many peopleviii.

People shifted around depending on the working economy.

All of these happenings in the world at the time allowed for the migration of key figures in the 8 hour

movement to come to Australia.

Where did the 8-hour movement in Australia take place?

Melbourne as a city was still developing, and, there was a need in the working economy for people to

construct the city. There were ample amounts of opportunity for people to gain employment within the

building and trade industry because of the superlative development of Melbourne infrastructure,

because of the boom in the goldrush there was a surge of money available for. Buildings like the Law

Quadrangle at the University of Melbourne, the Old Treasury building are examples of buildings that

were built in the early days of Melbourne. This relates to the 8-hour movement because with this

development there was a decline in the treatment of workers by their employers and contractors. The

employees were not treated fairly. It was common practice for 14-hour days, low wages and dangerous

conditions. The contractors were used to the conditions of Englandix, and assumed that the conditions in

Australia were the same. This was not the case. John Gration a stone mason from Collingwood, was one of

the early leaders of the Eight-Hour Movement believed that a reduction of the hours of labour would

be greatly beneficial to the trade, and also tend to improve social and moral conditionx, and Jacob Ford,

also a stone mason from Collingwood, who was also one of the early leaders noted it was impossible for

us to work more than eight hours per day under a burning hot sun in Australiaxi. This caused for the

development of the 8-hour movement in Melbourne.

Who headed the movement, and, how did they orchestrate it?

The leadership of the 8-hour movement comprised of English who were stonemasons and workers from

various building trades such as plasterers and joiners. James Stephens was the founder of the Victorian 8

hour movementxii.

There were meetings planned and advertised for initial discussions for the eight hour movement.

James Stephens, an English man and James Galloway, also an English man made the first move for an

Eight-Hour day, they did this so they could set up a faction of the Operative Stonemasons Society.
Later, on the 5th of March, Melbourne and Collingwood branches of the society appointed a commission

to negotiate the Eight-Hour day with the newly formed Builders Association.

It was planned in this negotiation that the movement come to fruition on the 21st of Aprilxiii.

Advertisement in The Age on the 19th of February 1856, presents the initial proposals for meeting for
the changing of workers rights. Source: Trove

Advertisement in The Argus on the 25th of March 1856, asking for members of the building trades in
general about the eight hours question. Source: Trove

The meeting at Clarks Hotel in Collingwood (as advertised above) had the aim to discuss the reduction of

working hours for different trades suc, and, how to do so. Soon after, on the 26th of March, 1856, a

meeting was held at the Belvedere Hotel to discuss ways of how this will happen.

On the 19th of April at a meeting at the Queens Theatre, it was discussed with trade delegates that

represented masons, plasterers, carpenters, joiners, bricklayers, slate and labourers for the new and

improved working condition, two days later on the 21st of April. It was obvious that some of the trade

delegates and employers who had agreed to decrease the hours to eight-hours per day, but, keep the

wage the same had no fulfilled their duty of the dealxiv. Only two employers, such as the employer for the

Western Market, and, the employer for the Houses of Parliament had fulfilled their end of the deal. At the

Melbourne University Law Quadrangle, the employer had not fulfilled his end of the deal, so this caused
for a strike and walked from the university into the town. After more negotiations, the deal was later

fulfilled and the men were paid accordingly.

As the Operative Stonemasons Society headed the movement, at the end they were the only society that

achieved the 8-hour day. Although it did not affect all societies, it pioneered the concept of the 8-hour day

for many different societies.

How has this continued since 1856?

It took until 1916 for the 8 Hour Day Act to be passed in Victoria and New South Wales. The 8 hour

movement had affected many working class peoples lives in Victoria, and, in Australia. The treatment of

workers in different occupation is something that is still discussed today, and, it interesting to analyse

the topic of early workers rights in Australia to compare how they are in the 21st century, and, how the

times have adapted for workers. There is a perpetuation of this long standing tradition of sticking up for

the little guy that is still existent in contemporary

society. The 19th century was a positive period of

unionism and change for the working class peoplexv.

Many things happened for the working class such as

the 8 hours movement being one of them in the

Australian context. In contemporary society, bodies

such as the FairWork commission in Australia protect

workers, and, ensure that they are receiving correct

treatment in the workplace, as well as other

governmental bodies such as Work Safe. In comparison,

to how workers rights were in 1855 compared to now, Missing Penalty Rates poster in
Reservoir. Source: Authors own image.
there is an obvious difference in how workers are

treated in contemporary society. I the 21st century, there are more fair working conditions for workers,

but, there is a lot more to do to gain equality and fairness. Equality on the basis of gender, sexuality and

age are all factors that need revival. Thanks to early union movements, and, the continuing union

movement workers have the rights they have today.

Endnotes:
i AAP, Childcare workers to stage biggest walk off ever over wage demands, West Australian, Title,
04/09/2017, title, <https://thewest.com.au/news/wa/childcare-workers-to-stage-biggest-walk-off-ever-over-
wage-demands-ng-b88588772z L >, 01/10/17
ii ABC News Online, Catholic School Teachers strike, ABC News, title, 06/09/17, para. 1, <

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-09-06/catholic-school-teachers-strike/7818036> 05/10/16 and AAP,

Victorian ambulance workers to strike for the first time in 36 years Sydney Morning Herald, title,
17/07/2009
iii Hugh, George, June 14, 1873., Trade Union banner reads: 8 hours labour 8 hours recreation 8 hours rest,

1873, State Library of Victoria, in Trove [online database], 09/10/17

iv Helen Hughes, The eight hour day and the development of the Labour movement in Victoria in the

eighteen-fifties, Historical Studies: Australia and New Zealend, 9/36 (1961) 398
v Ibid. 397.
vi Susan Lawrence Cheney, Uncertain migrants: the History of Archaeology of a Victorian Goldfield

Community., Australasian Historical Archaeology, 10/04 (1992) 36

vii Bate, W (Melbourne: McPhee Gribble/Penguin, 1988) 27 in Charles Fahey, Peopling the Victorian

Goldfields: From Boom to Bust, 1851-1901, Australian Economic Review, 50/2 (2010) 148
viii Helen Hughes, The eight hour day and the development of the Labour movement in Victoria in the

eighteen-fifties, Historical Studies: Australia and New Zealand, 9/36 (1961) 396
ix Helen Hughes, The eight hour day and the development of the Labour movement in Victoria in the

eighteen-fifties, Historical Studies: Australia and New Zealand, 9/36 (1961) 396 and Victorian Operative
Masons, Origin of the eight-hours movement in Victoria (Melbourne: Labor Call Print, Year), 10.
x Correspondence [letter], 25/05/1856, para. 1 in Victorian Operative Masons, Origin of the eight-hours

movement in Victoria (Melbourne: Labor Call Print, Year), 10.

xi Victorian Operative Masons, Origin of the eight-hours movement in Victoria (Melbourne: Labor Call Print,

Year), 10.
xii Ibid. 4
xiii Helen Hughes, The eight hour day and the development of the Labour movement in Victoria in the

eighteen-fifties, Historical Studies: Australia and New Zealend, 9/36 (1961) 399
xiv Helen Hughes, The eight hour day and the development of the Labour movement in Victoria in the

eighteen-fifties, Historical Studies: Australia and New Zealend, 9/36 (1961) 399
xv Taylor, Kerry The Ambiguous Legacy of Samuel Duncan Parcell: The Eight Hour Day in New Zealend in

Kimber, Julie & Love, Peter (ed.) The Time of Their Lives: The Eight Hour Day and working life. (Melbourne:
Australian Society for the study of Labor History, 2007) 15-17
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Fahey, Charles Peopling the Victorian Goldfields: From Boom to Bust, 1851-1901, Australian Economic
Review, 50/2 (2010) 148-161

Cheney, Susan Lawrence Uncertain Migrants: the History and Archaeology of a Victorian Goldfield
Community. Australasian Historical Archaeology, 10/04 (1992) 36-42

Hughes, Helen The eight hour day and the development of the Labour movement in Victoria in the eighteen-
fifties, Historical Studies: Australia and New Zealend, 9/36 (1961) 396-412

Victorian Operative Masons, Origin of the eight-hours movement in Victoria (Melbourne: Labor Call Print,
Year)
Kimber, Julie & Love, Peter (ed.) The Time of Their Lives: The Eight Hour Day and working life. (Melbourne:
Australian Society for the study of Labor History, 2007) 15-17

Images:

Hugh, George, June 14, 1873, Trade Union banner reads: 8 hours labour 8 hours recreation 8 hours rest, 1873,
State Library of Victoria, in Trove [online database], 09/10/17

Holmes, Anne, Workers dream 52/32/2, 2012, in Trove [online database], 15/2017.

Newspaper articles:

George Sparks, To Stonemasons wanted, Age, 19/02/1856, N/A, in Trove [online database], 05/08/17

Linacre, A, Notice to all building trades in general, Argus, 25/03/1856, page N/A, in Trove [online database],
17/09/17