There is also a range of related material from the pictures collection, with a colonial wood engraving of the Eureka encampments to the photographs from the set of ‘Eureka Stockade’ film from 1947. It is through this material that we can gain a visual into how things looked at the time and see the diversity of people involved in the Eureka Stockade. In addition to the unique material mentioned above, there is a wide variety of resources available from our collection of books, digitised newspapers, and eResources.
While much of the collection material can be found by searching the terms ‘Eureka Stockade’, there are other useful search terms, such as:
Peter Lalor 1854
1854 Ballarat
Charles Pasley
Gold miners 1854 Australia
To achieve the best result, we suggest narrowing the results using the ‘subject area’ and ‘format’ field options.
Cummeragunja Walk Off
The Cummeragunja Walk Off was one of the first recorded strikes by First Australians on the Australian mainland, taking place in 1939 (the Torres Strait Maritime Strike occurred three years prior). While the National Library does not have a large amount of material for this protest, what is contained in the collection is quite unique.
One such item is a book containing newspaper clippings from the time of the strike, called ‘Exodus from Cummeragunja: news clippings 1938 to 1961’. It was researched and compiled by Bill and Lynne Lumley for the Bangerang Cultural Centre in Shepparton and provides an incredible insight into the motivation for the walk off and the events that occurred on Cummeragunja Station beforehand. In addition to the unique item mentioned above, there is variety of resources available from our collection of books, digitised newspapers and gazettes, pictures, audio and eResources.
Here are some search terms that you might use in our Catalogue or Trove. An important note to keep in mind is that there are various spellings of Cummeragunja. In this guide we have listed the spelling that yields the most search results, but alternative spellings will achieve different results.
Cummeragunja
Cummeragunja walk off 1939
Cummeragunja Station
Bill Onus
Please keep in mind that some of the search phrases for this material will often relate to historical wording and language. This means terms that we would today consider highly offensive may appear in your search.
The Pilbara Stockmen’s Strike
In 1946, on May 1st, eight hundred First Australian stockmen and pastoral workers walked off stations across the Pilbara, making it one of the biggest strikes of the era. The Library’s digitised newspapers and gazettes are a rich source of knowledge on this topic, with numerous titles providing insights into opinions of the strike at the time. Titles of particular focus are those from Western Australia including ‘The West Australian’ and ‘The Workers Star’.
Another unique item from the Library’s collection is an audio recording of Don McLeod interviewed by Mary Anne Jebb. Don McLeod was a non-Indigenous man who assisted with the organisation of the strike, working with those of the Pilbara Strike at a time when there were laws and policies in Australia promoting segregation and preventing Indigenous and non-Indigenous people from coming together. The interview details McLeod’s firsthand experiences as a participant of the strike, as well as information about the policies of the Western Australian Government at the time.
In addition to the unique material mentioned above, the collection includes a variety of documentary resources, particularly books and eResources. Here are some search terms that you might use in our Catalogue or Trove:
Pilbara Strike 1946
Don McLeod
Dooley Bin Bin
Clancy McKenna
Peter ‘Kangkushot’ Coppin
Please keep in mind that some of the search phrases for this material will often relate to historical wording and language. This means terms that we would today consider highly offensive may appear in your search.
The Gurindji Strike / Wave Hill Walk Off
The 1966 Gurindji Strike is one of the most well-known protests in Australia, with the event gaining national attention. It inspired singer-songwriter Kevin ‘Kev’ Carmody to write ‘From Little Things, Big Things Grow’, a popular Australian anthem.
This material provides excellent details about what occurred leading up to the Gurindji Strike and what took place after the walk off. In addition to the unique material mentioned above, there is also a variety of resources available through our books, digitised magazines and journals, manuscripts, archived websites and eResources.
Here are some search terms that you might use in our Catalogue or Trove:
Gurindji Strike
Vincent Lingiari
Gurindji walk off wave hill station
Wave Hill Station
Some useful items in our collections would include:
Please keep in mind that some of the search phrases for this material will often relate to historical wording and language. This means terms that we would today consider highly offensive may appear in your search.
Formation of trade unions
Trade Unionism holds an important place in Australian history, with the National Library holding a significant amount of print material to draw from. The Trade Unionism ephemera collection is one such print resource, it holds materials that documented everyday life (such as pamphlet, booklets and advertising material, etc.). There are also many other resources that relate to specific unions (for example, monthly journals from the Amalgamated Metal Workers' Union).
The Library’s collection of digitised newspapers and gazettes are another great resource, which provides an insight into the opinions of the time in relation to the union strikes. In addition to the unique material mentioned above, there is a wide variety of resources available from our collection of books, pictures, audio and eResources.
Here are some search terms that you might use in our catalogue or Trove:
Geoff Pryor trade unionists
Unions Australia
History of unionism in Australia
Trade Union Strikes
Trade unionism
The National Library of Australia acknowledges Australia’s First Nations Peoples – the First Australians – as the Traditional Owners and Custodians of this land and gives respect to the Elders – past and present – and through them to all Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
Cultural Notification
Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are advised that this website contains a range of material which may be considered culturally sensitive including the records of people who have passed away.