State Holiday Name Month Observed

Australian Capital Territory Labour Day October

New South Wales Labour Day October

Northern Territory May Day May

Queensland Labour Day May

Tasmania Eight Hours Day March

Victoria Labour Day March

What is Labour Day?Labour Day is a day to celebrate the granting of an eight hour working day for Australian labourers.Although the eight hour day work regulations had gradually been introduced across the nation (New South Wales in 1856, Queensland in 1858, South Australia in 1873 and Tasmanian 1874), it wasn’t until almost a century later, on1st January 1948, the five day, 40 hour working week became law throughout the nation, for all Australian workers.With the gradual introduction of the eight hour work day, some states correspondingly hold the public holiday in different months. However, nationally it is always held on a Monday, to create a long weekend enabling Australian workers to have time to relax and enjoy recreational activities and sport.

Why Eight Hours?The foundation of the Labour Day movement was the idea that people should only work an eight hour day, allowing eight hours for recreation and eight hours for sleep.The idea was first proposed by Welsh Socialist Robert Owen in 1817. 888 (8 hours work, 8 hours recreation, 8 hours rest) went on to become the symbol adopted by unions throughout the western world.

Freedom on the Wallaby by Henry Lawson

“Our parents toil’d to make a home Hard grubbin ‘twas an’ clearin’ They wasn’t crowded much with lords When they was pioneering.

But now that we have made the land A garden full of promise, Old Greed must crook ‘is dirty hand And come ter take it from us.

So we must fly a rebel flag, As others did before us, And we must sing a rebel song And join in rebel chorus.

We’ll make the tyrants feel the sting O’ those that they would throttle; They needn’t say the fault is ours If blood should stain the wattle!”

Shearers’ Strike Camp, in Hughenden, QueenslandSourced from the Queensland State Library

A number of poems and songs have been written about the plight of the Australian worker in their struggle to receive fair work conditions. The most famous example of these is the poem written by Henry Lawson about the Shearers’ Strike, held in Queensland in 1891.

The last four stanzas are shown here. The term ‘rebel flag’ in the poem refers to the Eureka flag, which was first raised in 1854, during a rebellion of gold miners at the Eureka Stockade.

The History of Australia’s Working Day1800s: Australians worked up to twelve hours a day, six days a week.1850s: Australian workers had begun to unite and push to reduce the length of their working day.At that time, there was also a gold rush in Australia leading to a huge growth in the nation’s population and a shortage in skilled labour. These factors gave skilled labourers the political power to negotiate for better work conditions.1856: The first organised movement to introduce an eight hour working day occurred in early 1856, when Sydney stonemasons went on a two week strike. Their employer eventually agreed to reduce the hours of the working day, but also reduced their wages. On 21 April, of that year, a group of Melbourne stonemasons marched on parliament house demanding eight hour working days. As a result of that industrial action, they and many other skilled labourers in Victoria were awarded eight hour working days, without any reduction to their wages. On 12 May, of the same year the stonemasons held a march to celebrate the introduction of the eight hour working day. 1879: The Victorian government declared Eight Hours Day to be a paid public holiday and the first public celebration of the day was held in Melbourne in 1890. 1891: .dnalsneeuQ ni ecalp koot ekirtS s’reraehS taerG ehT Although largely unsuccessful, the Shearers’ Strike was one of Australia’s earliest industrial disputes and was a factor leading to the formation of a political party to represent the interests of working people.

Labour Day March

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May Day and Eight Hours Dayalso known

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