The Birth of an Organising Union
Celebrating 125 years of organising transport workers in New South Wales
Celebrating 125 years of organising transport workers in New South Wales
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<strong>The</strong> suburbs that folded around Darling<br />
Harbour formed the centre <strong>of</strong> the<br />
working world for the Trolly, Draymen<br />
<strong>an</strong>d Carters’ <strong>Union</strong> in 1901.<br />
Darling Harbour was also a centre <strong>of</strong><br />
production <strong>an</strong>d industrial conflict. It<br />
was a rough realm <strong>of</strong> timber wharves<br />
<strong>an</strong>d wool sheds, t<strong>an</strong>neries <strong>an</strong>d rail<br />
yards.<br />
❝ Living conditions<br />
were poor:<br />
<strong>of</strong>ten not much<br />
better th<strong>an</strong> the<br />
horse stables<br />
that were also a<br />
feature <strong>of</strong> every<br />
street.<br />
❞<br />
Darling Harbour was the working<br />
harbour <strong>of</strong> Sydney. Barricades <strong>of</strong> masts<br />
<strong>an</strong>d churning funnels marked out the<br />
columns <strong>of</strong> tethered ships butting up to<br />
the wharves.<br />
Between J<strong>an</strong>uary <strong>an</strong>d March 1901,<br />
609,000 bags <strong>of</strong> wheat were received<br />
at Darling Harbour, much <strong>of</strong> it<br />
bound for the export market. On 30<br />
November 1901, 7800 bales <strong>of</strong> wool<br />
were m<strong>an</strong>ifested to arrive by rail.<br />
Wheat <strong>an</strong>d wool were just the big<br />
ticket items <strong>of</strong> a rich trade in goods<br />
<strong>an</strong>d produce that poured into Darling<br />
12 <strong>The</strong> <strong>Birth</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>an</strong> Org<strong>an</strong>ising <strong>Union</strong>
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