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Digital Photograph - Swallow & Ariell Biscuit Factory Staff Marching with Pastry Cooks & Biscuit Factory Employees Union, 8 Hour Day March, Melbourne, circa 1900-1910
Reg. No: MM 110865
- Summary:
- Black and white photograph showing Richard Henry 'Dick' Archer and other workers from the Swallow and Ariell Biscuit Factory at the Eight Hour Day march, Melbourne, circa 1900-1910. Dick Archer is standing fifth from left.
According to the Archer family, Dick Archer had to work on Saturdays as well as weekdays at the Swallow and Ariell Biscuit Factory. His children were young at this time. Other members of the Archer family also worked at the factory, including Jack Archer who lived at Coburg who, on some occasions, marched in front of the float with a baton. The Archer family remembers that 'The Swallow & Ariell staff marched with the Pastry Cooks and Biscuit Factory Cooks Union.' The sign in the photograph states that the union name is actually the Pastry Cooks and Biscuit Factory Employees Union. This union can be traced back to the first industrial organisation in Victoria which was for pastry cooks. It later changed its name several times due to merging with other related trades such as flour and sugar goods workers.
The Eight Hour Day march commemorated a successful protest march held on April 21, 1856 by Victorian stonemasons and other members of the building trades. The protest resulted in an agreement by the Victorian Government to ensure all workers on public sites had an eight hour working day. In recognition of the significance of this achievement, April 21 was made a public holiday in 1879 and commemorative marches were held each year from 1879 until 1951. The Eight Hour Day holiday was renamed Labour Day in 1934. In 1955 the Labour Day march and celebrations were replaced by Moomba celebrations. - Description Of Content:
- Eight men in suits and hats standing in front of an elaborately decorated horse drawn float. There are two draught horses harnessed to the float. A man is at the reins and another man is inside the float behind the driver. There is a '888' sign over the driver's head. The side of the float shows two '8's with a painting of a worker in between. A sign held behind the float states 'Pastry Cooks and Biscuit Factory Employees Union...Vote Yes Everytime.' Multi-storey houses are visible in the background on the other side of the street. A motor car float with a British flag flying is at front right.
- Acquisition Information:
- Copied from Ms Judy Archer, 2006
- Acknowledgement:
- Contributed by Ms Judy Archer
| Discipline: | History |
More information
| Tagged with: | 8 hours day celebrations, cooks, food workers, horsedrawn vehicles, labour day, manufacturing, marchers, parade floats, parades, street marches, trade unions, -1 |
| Themes this item is part of: | Public Life & Institutions Collection, Melbourne's Biggest Family Album Collection |
| Primary Classification: | PUBLIC EVENTS |
| Secondary Classification: | Eight Hour Day |
| Tertiary Classification: | parades & street festivals |
| Inscriptions: | Reverse - see supplementary file for printout of text attached to back of photograph. This is contemporary information provided by the Archer family, probably attached at the time that they contributed the image to the museum. |
| People Depicted: | Archer, Richard Henry (Dick); other people unknown |
| Organisations Depicted: | Swallow & Ariell Ltd; Pastry Cooks and Biscuit Factory Cooks Union |
| Format: | Digital Still Image: Black & White; Tiff |
| Place & Date Depicted: | Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, circa 1900-1910 The presence of an early motor car in the image suggests it is likely to be between 1900-1910, as cars weren't common until early 20th century. The image can not have been taken later than 1911 as the union changed its name in 1911. |
| Photographer: | Unknown |
| References: |
Australian Trade Union Association http://www.atua.org.au/biogs/ALE0477b.htm#online http://www.atua.org.au/biogs/ALE1044b.htm Eight Hour Day Organisation http://www.8hourday.org.au/about.asp Only Melbourne:The Eight Hour Day March http://www.onlymelbourne.com.au/melbourne_details.php?id=10144 Company name http://nla.gov.au/nla.pic-vn3289322 |
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