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Produced and published by the School of Historical & Philosophical Studies, The University of Melbourne
Published July 2008
Published July 2008
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The annual picnics of trade unions and associations assumed a particular significance in Melbourne, where the eight hours' day had been secured for local building trades in 1856. To celebrate this achievement, an annual procession, first held on 12 May 1856, culminated in a dinner and fête at the Cremorne Gardens. When Eight Hours' Day was instituted as a public holiday in 1879, the celebration took the form of a picnic.
The recreational picnic, made possible by shorter working hours, became an important symbol of labour's achievements. Trade picnics were also held over the summer months, made possible by a sanctioned Saturday holiday or half-holiday. Members of the various trades and guilds would gather under their colourful flags and banners in public parks and gardens, or the local friendly societies' ground, where a picnic lunch was enjoyed, followed by music and entertainment, sports and games, and speeches about wages, working conditions and the fears of unemployment. Separate picnics were held for all the major trades, with some choosing to spend their picnic day aboard a steamer in the bay. These picnics performed an important social and political function as a demonstration of labour solidarity during the 1890s and the early decades of the 20th century, when rates of unionisation were high.