The Birth of an Organising Union

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The hazards of carting heavy loads on the roads of Sydney and New South Wales are not new. In January 1901 a serious collision occurred between a Glebe Point tram and a cart which left the two carters injured. ❝ Overloading and poorly tethered loads also caused serious accidents, practices that were the product of tight deadlines and demands to maximise profits. ❞ Perhaps the long, exhausting working hours that the union campaigned to reduce contributed to the accident, which took place shortly before midnight at the intersection of Bridge Road and Glebe Point Road. The cart was crossing the tramline when it was struck ‘with considerable force’ by the tram. ‘The cart was overturned, and Patrick Hogan, living in Kent Street, Sydney, and John Clune, living in Chester Street, Camperdown, who were its occupants at the time, were thrown heavily to the roadway. Both men were conveyed to the Prince Alfred Hospital. Hogan was suffering from a very severe scalp wound, and was admitted 34 The Birth of an Organising Union
to the institution; but Clune, after being treated for cuts und bruises, was able to proceed to his home.’ Overloading and poorly tethered loads also caused serious accidents, practices that were the product of tight deadlines and demands to maximise profits. At Darling Harbour in December 1901, a carter named Charles Trotter, of East Street Redfern, was taking a load of wool to Messrs John Bridge and Co’s Darling Harbour stores when two of the bales fell from the cart, striking him. ‘Trotter was conveyed by the Civil Ambulance to Sydney Hospital, where he was admitted suffering from a fracture of the left thigh.’ of Hunters Hill. Inquiring into the death, a magistrates court was told that prior to the accident Rhem was walking about five yards behind his dray, which contained two tons of coal. In turning the corner of Church Street into Drummoyne Street the horses attached to the dray turned sharply round the corner. There was a lamppost on the edge of the kerb. Henry Rhem was behind his cart at the time, assisting his fellow driver to negotiate the turn. Rehm ran up to the horses with the evident intention of turning the leader. He caught hold of the reins with his right hand and put his left arm round the lamp-post. He was crushed between the lamp-post and the heavilyladen dray. Perhaps the most tragic of the industrial accidents of 1901 involving draymen and carters occurred in October. Henry Rhem died as a result of a dray accident in the Sydney suburb Rhem died as a result of his internal injuries several days later. He was 22 years old. The hazards of a deregulated workplace in 1901 35
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Page 4 and 5: National Library of Australia Catal
Page 6 and 7: develop as the powerful voice of tr
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Page 10 and 11: On Saturday 2 February 1901, a meet
Page 12 and 13: Sydney Morning Herald, 11 February
Page 14 and 15: * 1888: First attempt to unionise F
Page 18 and 19: The suburbs that folded around Darl
Page 20 and 21: Smokestack soot mingled with the pu
Page 22 and 23: Pyrmont Bridge at the turn of the c
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Page 26 and 27: Across 1901 the records reveal the
Page 28 and 29: Not all work: the union’s fundrai
Page 30 and 31: Eight Hours and Safe Rates In 1901
Page 32 and 33: When the Trolly, Draymen and Carter
Page 36 and 37: In December 1901 the labour movemen
Page 38 and 39: TWU South Coast banner 32
Page 42 and 43: ‘The carriers are trying to combi
Page 44 and 45: The controversial Billy Hughes 38
Page 46 and 47: themselves to be manipulated by thi
Page 48 and 49: A fitting tribute to a reborn union
Page 50 and 51: The Trolly, Draymen and Carters’
Page 52 and 53: a lorry, with a work-man making the
Page 54: Sources and further reading A range

The Birth of an Organising Union

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