$2 WEEKEND PAPERS

on the web: asksue-belinda.com children to work in the factories too so that there might be enough money to survive.

Education was a luxury only for the children of the wealthy. Some were fortunate to access Sunday School which taught not only the

Bible, but also the “three R’s”.

This was the time in which the great Quaker families, regarded by some as Christian socialists, rose in the world of industry.

The chocolate industry attracted many Quaker families – Rowntree, Terry, Fry and the Cadbury brothers were synonymous with business success and with social reform, believed that happy, fulfilled and cared for workers did a better job.

The Cadbury and Rowntree families would go on to build communities around their factories in which workers had homes, garden plots for vegetables, fruit orchards, tennis courts and a swimming pool for all where the lessons were free.

Schools were built and children were educated in mind and body while their parents worked an eight-hour day. Adult literacy classes were available after church free of charge.

For those who were not fortunate enough to work for a Quaker business, there were men like Robert Owen who, in 1817, began campaigning for an eight-hour day for all workers. By 1847 the British Factories Act required that women and children could not work longer than 10 hours per day making a six day, 60-hour week.

Word spread to Australia and on April 21, 1856, the stonemasons at the University of Melbourne marched to Parliament House to push for an eight-hour day – a 48-hour week.

By 1858 Queensland would follow. It would be another 90 years until the five-day week email: sue.meehan@eftel.net.au that most of us enjoy today would be adopted.

In Queensland, the first Labour Day celebration took place on March 16, 1861, and was only for the small number of skilled trades people who had achieved their eight-hour day.

It would be another 20 years until the bulk of workers were granted an eight-hour day and they were excluded from the early celebrations.

Americans would follow the Australian example and declared May 1, 1886, as a day of universal work stoppage to shine a light on the goal for an eight-hour day.

In Paris in 1889 the International Working Men’s Association declared May 1 would become an international working class holiday. In Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Adelaide on May 1, 1890, workers held their first May Day Meeting.

On May 1, 1891, 100 shearers in Queensland set down their shears to take part in a May Day March through Barcaldine and the local paper records that shouts and cheers went up in support of the eight-hour day. This event in would be marked by Henry Lawson in his poem, Freedom on the Wallaby.

From May 1893, the holding of the Labour Day celebrations in March and May Day march on May 1 continued. It’s not known when or why Queensland unionists decided to drop the Labour Day celebrations of the attainment of the eight-hour day in March in favour of the May Day event, but that is what happened.

In fact, most states continue to celebrate on the anniversary of their achieving the eighthour day.

Now we just need to constrain ourselves to enjoy the benefits and use the time to relax and recharge – not just exchange one work setting for another. Enjoy your day!