ANU Archives’ exhibition - Struggle, Solidarity and Unity: 150 Years of Maritime Unions in Australia
The Archives are pleased to share the treasures in this exhibition, including over 180 images, records and publications, some of which date back as far as the 1880s.
ANU Archives’ current exhibition,Struggle, Solidarity and Unity: 150 Years of Maritime Unions in Australia explores the rich history of Australia’s Maritime Union, which is celebrating 150 years of unbroken organisation this year.
The exhibition draws from the Archives’ extensive collections of records from the Seamen’s Union of Australia, Waterside Workers’ Federation of Australia, Maritime Union of Australia, and affiliated trade unions. It looks back to a time when shipping was by sail, conditions were harsh and dangerous, and hard fought for labour protections were driven by men of vision and determination.
In 1872, the first trade unions were formed to represent Australian maritime workers, with Australia being the first country in the world to form a maritime union. From then, the Union’s influence continued to grow as they fought to improve worker’s lives and ensure greater protections and rights.
The exhibition highlights some key events like The Great Strike of 1917 and the introduction of Women’s Auxiliaries in World War Two; campaigns for improved wages and conditions; and personalities from the union’s past 150 years. Notably, the exhibition also includes images illustrating Australia’s maritime unions support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander campaigns for equity and land rights. Prominent amongst the campaigns supported by maritime trade unions were the 1949 strike by Aboriginal workers in Western Australia’s Pilbara, the 1966 Gurindji Strike (Wave Hill Walk Off) and the 1967 Referendum.
The Archives are pleased to share the treasures in this exhibition, including over 180 images, records and publications, some of which date back as far as the 1880s.
How we write our history from the records - including photographs - and what we learn from it, opens a window on to questions of national and international significance. You can see the exhibition in the Menzies Library at the Australian National University until 31 March 2023, or online, where it will continue to be available after the physical exhibition closes.
As a complement to this exhibition, the Archives’ Annual Lecture on 21 March also focuses on the history of Australia’s maritime union. Join us to hear distinguished speaker Diane Kirkby discuss Australia’s maritime labour history. This lecture is hosted by the ANU Archives and the Friends of the Noel Butlin Archives Centre.
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