Guide to Records of the Intercolonial Trades Union Congresses
The Noel Butlin Archives of Business and Labour is the oldest
non-government collecting archives in Australia. It maintains, preserves
and makes available for research records of national significance
with comprehensive coverage of archives of employer, employee and
professional organisations and a major collection of Australian
companies. Its holdings range in date from the mid 1820s to the
mid 1990s.
Introduction
The Intercolonial Trades Union Congresses were a means for Australian
labour organisations to collectively organise themselves and to
discuss issues of concern to all unions in all states. The first
Congress met in Sydney in 1879. The Congress report states that
“it was established that the labour organisations of Australasia
were practically unanimous in holding certain opinions in social
politics”. Political reform remained high on the agenda of subsequent
Congresses.
In total there were eight Congresses: 1879 (Sydney); 1884 (Melbourne);
1885 (Sydney); 1886 (Adelaide); 1888 (Brisbane); 1889 (Hobart);
1891 (Ballarat) and 1898 (Adelaide).
Between 1879 and 1898, topics regularly discussed included legislation
of trade unions, organisation of labour, abolition of "Chinese
and coolie immigration", Compulsory Court of Arbitration, Employers
Liability Act, legalisation of the 8 hours system, land nationalisation,
manhood suffrage, direct representation of labour in Parliament,
appointment of working men on technical and other boards, free compulsory
and secular education by the state and regulation of apprentices.
Among the resolutions passed were those concerning the Commonwealth
Draft Bill, assisted immigration, payment to Members of Parliament,
single tax, paid union organisers, minimum wage and industrial federation.
The 7th Congress in Ballarat was held after the defeat of the Great
Maritime Strike in 1890, and concern over the effectiveness of labour
bargaining power is reflected in the papers of the Congress. Issues
relating to the political organisation of the labour movement and
of restructuring trade union organisation under the Australasian
Federation of Labour were of major importance.
Scope of the Guide
This guide identifies records of the Intercolonial Trades Union
Congresses held firstly, by the Noel Butlin Archives Centre and
then by other collecting archives and libraries.
The Congresses were originally listed under various titles including
Intercolonial Trades and Labour/Labor Congress and Intercolonial
Trades Union Congress. We have standardised it for the sake of simplicity.
The items listed in this guide come from several collections including:
Victorian Operative Bricklayers Society (Deposit T8), the Tom McDonald
Papers (Deposit P20), the Ballarat Trades and Labour Council (Deposit
E97), the Federated Seamen's Union of Australasia - Port Adelaide
Branch (Deposit P92), Printing Industry Employees' Union of Australia
- New South Wales Branch (Deposit T39), and the Printing Industry
Employees' Union of Australia - Queensland Branch (Deposit T51).
We were unable to find items in our collection relating to the
Fourth Intercolonial Trades Union Congress (Adelaide, 1886).
However, it is likely that there are other records or collections
of use at the Centre regarding the other Congresses. Readers are
advised to consult the detailed finding-aids to the collections
for further information.
Holdings
| First Intercolonial Trades Union Congress (Sydney, 1879)
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T8/7/3
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Letterbook
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Correspondence between the Victorian Operative Bricklayers Society and the
Trades and Labour Council of NSW (W Roylance) discussing the
proposal to hold an Intercolonial Trades Union Congress in
Sydney. 23 May 1879-22 September 1879
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T8/7/3
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Proposed Programme
(printed)
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Printed circular from the Trades and Labour Council of NSW (W J Harris) concerning
the draft programme of the Intercolonial Trade Congress to
be held in Sydney during the International Exhibition. Circular
lists subjects proposed by the Council for discussion at the
Congress. 9 May 1879. (Covering letter dated 23
May 1879).
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T8/7/3
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Final Programme
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Printed circular from the Trades and Labour Council of NSW (W Roylance) detailing
the final programme of the Intercolonial Trades Union Congress
to be held at the Sydney Mechanical School of Arts, Oct 7th
1879. The list of subject for discussion was expanded, from
the draft programme, to include immigration, mercantile marine,
workers compensation and the encouragement of native industries.
13 September 1879.
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T8/7/3
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Circular Advertisement
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Printed circular from the Trades and Labour Council of NSW (W Roylance) advertising
the publication of a special report of proceedings of the
Intercolonial Trades Union Congress of 1879.
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T8/7/3
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Letter
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Invitation from the Melbourne Progressive Society of Carpenters and Joiners,
Trades Hall to assist with the formation of a second Intercolonial
Trades Union Congress to be held in Melbourne. 7 February 1880.
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T8/7/4
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Circular
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Invitation from the Victorian Saddlers Society (R Hayes) to co-operate with
other unions in the proposed scheme to federate trade unions
in all of the colonies and the formation of a Victorian Labour
League. July
1880.
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T8/7/4
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Circular
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Printed circular from Trades Hall, Melbourne (William E Murphy) informing
the Victorian Operative Bricklayers Society of a resolution
adopted by the Trades Hall Committee that a second Intercolonial
Trades Union Congress be held in Melbourne in 1884. 27 December 1883.
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T8/7/4
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Circular
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Printed circular from the second Intercolonial Trades Union Congress, Parliamentary
Committee, Trades Hall (Melbourne). The circular refers to
bills before the Victorian Parliament (Legalisation of Trade
Unions, Factories & Workshop Amendment Act, courts of
conciliation and Employers Liability Bill) and requests a
donation to help support the work of the Committee in the
Victorian Parliament. 7th July 1884.
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Second Intercolonial Trades Union Congress (Melbourne,
1884)
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History of
Labour and Machinery.
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The history of capital and labour in all lands and ages: their past conditions,
present relation, and outlook for the future…together with
an encyclopaedia of Australasian and foreign statistics….
Includes chapters on Trade Union Congresses and a detailed report of the Second
Trade Union Congress. Sydney, Oceanic Publishing, 1888.
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| Third Intercolonial Trades Union Congress (Sydney, 1885) |
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P92/20
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Letterbook
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Presscopy letters of the Trades Union Parliamentary Committee (Victoria) appointed
by the Intercolonial Trades Union Congress. Contains names
of Victorian societies and their delegates to the Third Intercolonial
Trades Union Congress, a report of meetings between delegates
and the Committee and list of subjects recommended by the
Committee for discussion at the Congress. Volume includes
correspondence with parliamentarians re political issues of
interest to the labour movement (ie Trade Union Act, Factories
and Workshop Amendment Bill, ‘sweating system’, apprentices).
Later correspondence is of the Parliamentary Committee of
the Trades Hall Council.
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Fifth Intercolonial Trades Union Congress (Brisbane, 1888)
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E97/7
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Letter
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Covering letter from Trades Hall Council, Melbourne (J G Barnett) to Mr Hurdsfield
discussing the draft of “Scheme Intercolonial Labor Federation”
as agreed at the “recent conference in Brisbane”. 30 May
1889.
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K3802 (T39/74/17)
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Photograph
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Group photograph of attendees of the “Fifth Intercolonial Trades Congress,
held at Brisbane”. March 1888.
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Sixth Intercolonial Trades Union Congress (Hobart, 1889)
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E97/7
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Circular Invitation
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Printed invitation and attachment from the Trades and Labour Council, Hobart
to the Trades and Labour Council, Ballarat informing them
of the Sixth Intercolonial Trades and Labour Union Congress,
5th February 1889. Attached to the circular is
a list of subjects for debate. A covering letter from the
Trades and Labour Council, Hobart is also attached. 27th
October 1888.
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Seventh Intercolonial Trades Union Congress of Australasia
(Ballarat, 1891)
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E97/18/9
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Circular Invitation
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Printed invitation and attachment from the Congress Committee, Ballarat Trades
and Labour Council to Ironmoulders Society informing them
of the Seventh Intercolonial Trades Union Congress. Attached
to the Circular is a list of subjects recommended by the “Trades’
and Labor bodies throughout Australasia…for debate”.
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E97/18/11
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Printed Circular
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Circular from Melbourne Trades Hall Council requesting financial assistance
from affiliates for the Ballarat Council expenses in relation
to the Congress, 1891.Signed by David Bennet, Secretary.
1891
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E97/18/12
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Reports of
Standing Orders Committee
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Report recording the proposals adopted by the Congress, amendments made to
clauses, standing order for the next meeting and order of
business. Copies of the report include handwritten amendments
noting which items were carried. April 1891.
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E97/18/13
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Trade Mark
Committee Report
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Report of the Trade Mark Committee with recommendations to Congress. Handwritten
amendments note that all motions were carried. 1891.
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E97/18/14
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Report of
the Committee on Federation
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Report of the Committee appointed by the Seventh Intercolonial Trades and
Labour Congress to draft a scheme for the federation of the
labour unions throughout Australasia. See item E97/18/15 for
the draft scheme presented to the Congress. 1891.
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E97/18/15
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Draft Scheme
of Federation
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Draft of proposal advocating federation of labour unions prepared for and
presented to the Congress. Submitted by the Seventh Intercolonial
Trades and Labour Congress to the Labor Councils and Labour
Unions of Australasia. Sections of the report include: preamble,
name, constitutions, objects, payments, organization, general
council, general executive, special general executive meetings,
provinces, provincial councils, provincial executives, organization
of districts, district council and action of disturbances.
Handwritten amendments note which items were carried and amendments
made. April 1891.
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E97/18/16
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Draft Scheme
of Federation
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This draft scheme arose from an intercolonial
conference of delegates held in Sydney and convened by the
Australian Labour Federation (Queensland) to prepare a scheme
for the creation of an ‘Australasian Federation of Labour’
to be presented to the Seventh Trades and Labour Congress.
February 1891.
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E97/19
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Minute Book
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Minutes of the Congress Committee appointed by the Ballarat Trades and Labor
Council to arrange preliminaries of the Congress. Includes
a list of the members of the Committee. June 1890 - May
1891.
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E97/20
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Report of
the Proceedings of the Congress
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Includes introduction by John Willson, the Secretary of the Congress, names
of officer and committee, societies represented at the Congress
with names of delegates, names of societies in Australasia
and their secretaries, list of subjects submitted to the Congress,
official report of the proceedings of the Congress and Parliamentary
Committees’ reports. 1891.
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E97/21
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Report
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Printed report of the Committee on Political Reform appointed by the Seventh
Intercolonial Trades and Labor Congress to draft a scheme
for political reform. Report includes title (the National
Political Reform League), preamble, rules and platform. 1891.
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E97/7
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Press Cutting
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Newspaper cutting from Ballarat Courier. Letter to the editor discussing
the Industrial Labor League and its aims and objects. Refers
to the “Labor Congress to be held in a few days”.
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K2209-K2319
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Photographs
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Individual photographs of delegates to
the Congress set in an illuminated board. April 1891.
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Eighth Intercolonial Trades Union Congress of Australasia
(Adelaide, 1898)
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E97/7
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Circular
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Printed circular, from Trades Hall Council, Melbourne (J G Barnett), suggesting
a meeting in Adelaide and requesting unions to send delegates
to “conference of labor bodies and kindred associations” to
be held at Trades Hall, 22nd April 1898. Refers
to previous Intercolonial Trades Union Congresses and that
no congress had taken place for a significant period of time.
7 March 1898.
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E97/7
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Invitation
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Printed invitation to Ballarat Trades Council titled “Adelaide Labor Conference.
September 1898”. Refers to Labor conference held in Melbourne
in April 1897 and its decision to held a similar ‘gathering’
in Adelaide. Outlines the subjects discussed at the 1897 Melbourne
conference and notes those items recommended to the Parliament
Committees and resolutions carried. 1898.
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M14 Reel 1
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Minute Book
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Report by the President of the Trades
Hall Council referring to the Conference and to a subsequent
Conference in Brisbane in May, 1899. 9 September 1898.
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Related records
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T51/24/1
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Photograph
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Photograph of the Intercolonial Printers’ Conference, Trades Hall, Melbourne.
November 1888
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M54 Reel 8
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Shearing Agreement
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Microfilm copy of Shearing Agreement and Agreement for employees engaged during
shearing adopted by Intercolonial Conferences held in Melbourne
and Sydney. 1890
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Access to Records
For access to the records highlighted in this guide and other collections
of relevance please contact:
Reference Archivist
Noel Butlin Archives Centre
Archives Program
Australian National University
Building 76, 12 Balmain Crescent
Acton ACT 0200
Australia
Email:butlin.archives@anu.edu.au
Ph: + 61 2 6125 2219
Fax:+ 61 2 6125 0140
Access to the records is governed by NBAC staff at the discretion
of the owners of the records. All researchers are required to contact
the Archives and give advance notice of any visit to ensure that:
- the records they wish to consult will be available to them;
- any required permissions have been obtained; and
- the Centre will be open on the day they intend to visit.
Written requests for information are preferred. The Archives does
not participate in inter-library loan activities.
Finding-Aids
The Archives maintains and creates detailed finding-aids that record
the arrangement and description of all collections in its care.
Detailed finding-aids for all the collections noted in this guide
are available through the Centre, and researchers are advised to
consult them for further sources of information as well as additional
information on series and items noted in this guide.
Published Sources
- Murphy,
D.J. (ed), Labor in politics. The state Labor parties in Australia,
1880-1920, University of Queensland Press, 1975
- International
Free Trade Congress. Report of the Proceedings of the International
Free Trade Congress London August 1908. Westminister, Caxton
House, [1908}
- Partington,
Geoffrey in: H.R. Nicholls Society. Seminar (1st:1986: Melbourne,
Vic.) Arbitration in contempt: the proceedings of the inaugural
seminar of the HR Nicholls Society held in Melbourne, 28 February-2
March, 1986. Melbourne: H.R. Nicholls Society, c1986
Further Information
Further records are available from
Prepared by Ewan Maidment, 1992.
Expanded and Updated by Emma Jolley
and Deirdre Ward, July 2002.
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