On SUNDAY July 27 2003, the Sydney Branch of the Australian Society for the Study of Labour History with the Labour History Group, University of Sydney will present:
Groupers in the trade union movement
Level 7, PSU House, 191 Thomas Street, Haymarket, Sydney (just down from Central Station)
2 – 5pm, Sunday, July 27 2003
Speakers to be announced
1956: Remembering and Reflecting
Presented by the Sydney Branch of the Australian Society for the Study of Labour History with the Labour History Group, University of Sydney.
Level 7, PSU House, 191 Thomas Street, Haymarket, Sydney (just down from Central Station)
2 – 5 pm, Sunday 18 May 2003
Memories and reflections about the Left watershed of 1956. That was the year when the text of Nikita Kruschev’s “secret speech” to the Twentieth Congress of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, condemning Stalin and Stalinism, was published and circulated in Australia by dissident members of the Communist Party of Australia (CPA).
Speakers: R. D. (Bob) Walshe, Eric Aarons, Elaine Bryant, Bob Gould.
In 1956 Bob Walshe was a teacher, and one of those involved in the Australian publication and circulation of the “secret speech”; Eric Aarons was a member of the CPA Central Committee, responsible for Education; Elaine Bryant was prominent in the Brisbane New Theatre movement; Bob Gould was a young ALP member in a close orbit to the CPA.
Light refreshments will be provided. Due to difficulties in accessing the building, we would appreciate it if you could arrive before 2pm.
Saving History
– A panel discussion on preserving vital local, union and business records
Hosted by the Sydney Branch of the Australian Society for the Study of Labour History in conjunction with the Labour History Group, University of Sydney.
Level 7, PSU House, 191 Thomas Street, Haymarket, Sydney (just down from Central Station)
2 – 5 pm, Sunday 9 February 2003
Original records are a key resource for historians. Events of the last decade have highlighted challenges facing historians, archivists and librarians in preserving important local, union and business records, and making them accessible to researchers. The NSW State Records Act potentially requires local government to preserve a variety of records, but implementation so far has been very limited, and in many areas material of interest to historians has been inadequately preserved or simply thrown away. The struggle to save the Noel Butlin Archives at the ANU has secured for now a repository for union and business records, and has emphasised the Butlin’s importance for historians of the labour movement and early business development in Australia.
Speakers include Shirley Fitzgerald, Sydney City Historian, Peter Orlovich, academic and archivist, Sigrid McCausland, Archivist, Noel Butlin Archives, Australian National University, Margaret Penson, historian and Reader Services Librarian (formerly Local Studies Librarian), Leichhardt Library, and David Roberts, NSW State Records.
Light refreshments will be provided. Due to difficulties in accessing the building, we would appreciate it if you could arrive before 2pm.
PSU House Level 7, 191 Thomas Street, Sydney
Thomas Street runs of George Street and is in the heart of Chinatown.
Rail: Get off at central Bus: Get off at Railway Square Car: Parking station next door.
Australian Women Playwrights of the Left
Michelle Arrow will speak on the significant contribution of the contribution of this group of playwrights at the Sydney Branch, ASSLH AGM
All members are invited to attend.
on MONDAY March 24, 2003: 5.30 pm – 8pm
Room 330, Level 3, Economics and Business Building, University of Sydney (Codrington Street, Darlinghurst)
Free Drinks & Nibblies from 5.30pm (Please note that the building is locked at 6pm)
AGM Agenda: Apologies; Minutes of 2002 AGM; President’s report; Secretary/Treasurer’s report; Questions/Discussion; Election of Executive Committee & General Business. Guest speaker Michelle Arrow
Guest speaker Michelle Arrow .
All financial members are eligible to stand for the eight positions to be filled: President, Vice president, Secretary/Treasurer, Assistant Secretary and four committee members.
After the meeting we will be going for DINNER at a local Hotel.
Labor Council of NSW: TRADE UNION POSTERS, BANNERS AND BADGES EXHIBITION
At the Sydney Institute of TAFE at the Ultimo College of TAFE campus Muse building (a fantastic exhibition space) from 29 March, 2003 for 2 weeks
How many workers realise why they get decent pay and conditions, 4 weeks leave and have safe workplaces?
An upcoming exhibition will highlight what unions have done and still do for workers by enabling them to organize and have a communal voice when dealing with bosses.
Labor Council of NSW is having an exhibition of trade union posters, banners and badges in conjunction with the Sydney Institute of TAFE at the Ultimo College of TAFE campus Muse building (a fantastic exhibition space) from the 29 March for 2 weeks. Over 100 posters, a great selection of union badges and banners Most of the banners will be modern ones but a small number of historic banners will be displayed from the Trades Hall collection and from affiliates. Most of the collection is too fragile to move, but images will be displayed of 50 of the restored banners. Affiliates are helping with framing costs and also with material from their own collections of memorabilia. TAFE is generously providing a superb exhibition space free of charge.
The posters in will be organised into themes such as OHS, hours, May Day, union amalgamations, celebrations (films, theatre etc), union organising and recruiting, international union actions and support from Australian unions for international actions.
The last major exhibitions of this sort were Working Art at the NSW Art Gallery in 1988, Badges of Labor and Banners of Pride at the Powerhouse Museum in 1987. At the 1993 ACTU Congress a poster exhibition was held showing both Australian and international posters.
The TAFE is an appropriate venue to remind students about the where the courses and wages they get when they do their courses come from. A wonderful photo from the CFMEU of a demonstration in support of a campaign for daytime training for apprentices makes the point well: “NIGHTS ARE MADE FOR LOVE; DAYLIGHT TRAINING FOR APPRENTICES”. We hope that the exhibition will be able to tour around NSW.
In September 2001 the Branch held a two-day conference ‘Social Protest Movements and the Labour Movement: 1965-1975’.
In 2000, the Branch co-sponsored a Seminar to mark the 80th anniversary of the formation of the Communist Party of Australia in 1920; and held a Labour History Tour of Lithgow.
Social Protest Movements and the Labour Movement: 1965-1975
September 1991
In 1999, the Branch organised two Conferences, in February and September: ‘On the Waterfront: Union Gains and Struggles 1890-1998’ and ‘Immigration, Racism and the Labour Movement’.