Sue Tracey reports on an exciting new online endeavour of the Sydney Branch of the Australian Society for the Study of Labour History.
There are many places, buildings and monuments that have associations with the broad labour movement. In 2009 the Sydney Branch of the Australian Society for the Study of Labour History began a web page (www.asslll.org.au/branches/sydney/icons) to record these items and we already have had a number of contributions. They include: grave stones, banners, badges, buildings and sites that are part of labour’s history. For some the association is obvious, others are not so clear.
How many people could locate Doc Evatt’s House in Mosman? The house at the corner of Middle Head Road and Methuen Street, Mosman, 1 Methuen Street (formerly Georges’ Heights) was the home of Hon Dr HerbertVere Evatt from the 1920s until about 1964.
Sydney Branch’s executive committee member Damien Stapleton provided the picture and description.
Louisa Lawson Place
In the post-World War II period, Department of Housing projects were named after Labour politicians e.g. the large McKell Building in Redfern. Louisa Lawson Place, 127 Brighton Blvd, Bondi, was opened by Abram Landa MLC in October 1952. Does anyone know why Louisa was honoured in this way when she died in 1920?
Brookfield Grave, Broken Hill
Percy Brookfield was one of only two Australian politicians to have been assassinated. This substantial memorial to him is in Broken Hill Cemetery.
Sydney Branch member, Lawrie Daley, sent in a picture of Percy Brookfield’s grave in Broken Hill, and a verse written by Mary Gilmore about Brookfield. (which is on the website)
Please send your suggestions of interest to the labour movement to the secretary Sue Tracey.
Please send information (preferably with a digital photograph) by email to; suetracey@bigpond.com.
Or by post to: Icons of Labour History Sydney Branch ASSLH,
PO Box 1027, Newtown 2042.