The Fight for the Eight Hour Day

Eight Hour Day;Maryborough,Qld.Eight hour day procession - Railway Ambulance, First Prize. 5/5/1924. Image from the Maryborough, Wide Bay and Burnett Historical Society Inc collection.

Our Historypin members have put together information on the Eight Hour Day in Maryborough on our Historypin site and this can be found here to accompany the images from the Maryborough, Wide Bay and Burnett Historical Society Inc. Susan Brandt researched this event and this is her information:
Skilled workmen by the middle of the nineteenth century in Maryborough, such as masons and joiners, had achieved an eight hour working day. Poor weavers from the East End of London sponsored as immigrants to Maryborough by the Society for Relief of Distress were reported writing home in 1862 praising the wonderful climate, with no heating bills, and amazed that they were only required to work eight hours a day.
It should be remembered that the working week at this time was six days. However, many other occupations had some way to go in pursuit of this holy cause as it was described by the many Methodists who were prominent in the movement. And much debate also ensued when it was discovered that by working 8¾ hours Monday to Friday, men could finish work at midday on Saturday and have Saturday afternoon off for recreation. Increasingly this recreation would include sports, not permitted to strict Primitive Methodists. Through the 1860’s, 70’s and 1880’s the two issues of how to extend the principle of the eight hour day to all workers and how to celebrate that achievement became matters of public debate in Maryborough. Primitive Methodists, for whom debating was a much loved pastime, early found their voice here, despite the necessity for the compromise alternative slogan 48 hour week.
It took some time for all workers to be included. Railway workers were striking in 1865 over the matter, urging over-exposure to the hot Queensland sun as a health reason for limiting the day’s work to eight hours. Maryborough Council voted on the issue for its workers in 1876, couldn’t agree, and deferred the matter. The Maryborough Chronicle reported in July 1882 that for artisans at all the foundries, coach works and other industrial establishments “8 hours per day or 48 hours per week appears to be now the regular thing throughout the town”.

Float exhibited by Hyne and Son in an Eight Hour Day Procession. Otto Kamradt on the dray at the left on the bench. Image part of the Maryborough, Wide Bay and Burnett Historical Society Inc. collection. 

Though not at Hyne’s sawmill. There was quite a heated State election debate in May 1888 when candidate Jack Annear, who claimed to be the father of the Eight Hour movement, opposed one of the Hyne family and publicly criticised them for standing out on the matter. Jack Annear won the election.
The Maryborough Chronicle was enthusiastic by June 1888 in praise of the coming celebration day for the Movement on Friday 29 June. Sports were described as “the best ever put forward in Maryborough”. And Primitive Methodists could take a trip to White Cliffs on Fraser Island in the “Hercules” instead.
But 1889 was not so harmonious. For a start the Chronicle reported a race meeting (horses) down at Kedron Park in Brisbane on Friday March First in celebration of  the Eight Hour Day. Then on Monday sixth of May working men met in the Temperance Hall to vote on whether this year’s Eight Hour Demonstration in Maryborough on Friday 28 June should be sports or a picnic. Although there was a credit balance of £19 from last year’s sports, the vote was for a picnic. Something to do with a promoter called Mr Hurley taking over the sports for money-making purposes of his own.
By the 26th of June the Chronicle’s advertisements show competing events: J. Harland, secretary of the Eight Hour Committee, inviting workmen to a rail picnic to Mungarr and concluding with a Grand Social Dance in the Town Hall, while below it is an advertisement for Hurley’s Grand Sports on the Showgrounds, and Calcutta Sweeps at the Royal Hotel, J.T.Murray, Secretary.
In another article in the paper, a few days earlier, it appears the picnic supporters had tried unsuccessfully to prevent the Showground from being used for such a purpose. The Movement for an Eight Hour Day clearly did not like money-making adventurers taking over their cause. At the meeting on 6th of May, the reported discussions had been serious in intent. The previous secretary, Mr F. Appel, had been presented with a carved emu egg mounted on an ebony stand with silver spray supports, in recognition of “the manner in which he carried out the now great work thrown on him”. He then made an interesting speech about the state of the Movement so far. It was decided at the meeting to investigate the possibility of setting up an Eight-hour Association or Union, possibly to exclude profiteers.

Eight Hour Day Union Maryborough. Image from the Maryborough, Wide Bay and Burnett Historical Society Inc collection. Image found in Historypin here 

On the 22 October a public meeting resolved on the formation of an Eight-Hour Union in Maryborough, and the contribution of unskilled workers was discussed. In 1890 there is no mention in the Chronicle of any celebrations. Only reports of expected riots in Europe on May Day, which the paper is obliged to deny by May 10, admitting it had been very quiet in Europe.

1891 was a different matter. Friday 3rd of July was gazetted a public holiday in Maryborough and the Chronicle contained the following article under the heading EIGHT HOUR DAY:

“To-day will be observed as a public holiday in Maryborough to allow of the annual celebration of the principle of eight-hours work a day now generally established in Queensland. The only event of special importance will be the trades’procession through the town, and the athletic sports afterwards in the Show Grounds. The procession of the trades promises to be a very imposing and interesting affair, and has been organised on a large scale. The various trades will be represented in a series of characteristic tableaux on wagons gaily decorated. A large number of banners, with mottos, will fill in the gaps, and many other novelties will add to the success of the affair. The procession headed by the full Military Band, starts from the labor office, Keith’s Chambers, at a quarter to 9 this morning. The route will be Bazaar street to Ellena street, along that street to March street, down March street to Kent street, thence to Adelaide street, along which to Alice street, and thence to the Show Grounds. The sports should be quite up to previous affairs of the kind, as the programme is a good one, the prizes offered being very liberal, and the events are well filled with competitors, including several strangers. The first event starts at 10 a.m. In the evening there will be a wind-up dance in the Oddfellow’s Hall. With fine weather, of which there is fair promise, the success of the Eight-hour Demonstration of 1891 is assured. An excursion to the White Cliffs in the Muriel Bell takes place to-day. The Maryborough Rifle team left for Bundaberg yesterday afternoon, and will shoot against the Bundaberg team to-day.”
No riots expected here! The rifle team will be in Bundaberg.

J.D. Ruhle, Carrier at Maryborough Show Grounds.Image part of the Maryborough, Wide Bay and Burnett Historical Society Inc. collection. 

This seems to establish the pattern of celebration for the Eight Hour Movement in Maryborough for many years to come: a procession, sports and a dance at the Oddfellows Hall in the evening. During the Great War women workers kept the procession going, the sports were for school children, and rather wistfully for the 1916 celebrations, our local bard Bannerman (Cecil Lowell) penned a memorial poem, seeing the ghosts of workers past making up the numbers. The original can be found here

Published with consent from Susan Brandt
Tags: #eighthourday #maryborough #union