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EDITORIAL
| Since the last issue of our journal Ken Buckley, the editor of Labour History from 1986–89, passed away. I remember going down to Canberra in 1986 with Ken to transfer the journal from its original home at the Australian National University to its current base at the University of Sydney. We loaded his car with files and subscription information for the long drive back to Sydney. Ken's good humour and thoughtful conversation made light work of the task. Ken laid the basis for the support for the journal by the Faculty of Economics (now Economics and Business) at the University of Sydney and ensured the continued survival of the journal to the present. Labour History pays tribute to Ken by publishing an obituary by Stuart Rosenwarne, who reminds us of Ken's outstanding contribution to defending civil liberties in Australia. |
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This issue emphasises the breadth and diversity of labour history in the topics covered by the various contributors. It opens with a thematic on the politics of consumption, with a focus on co-operatives. While they represented a response to the inequities of capitalism, consumer co-operatives, Starr-Bowkett societies and credit unions have been generally ignored in the pages of Labour History. They were important for particular localities and occupations. One retail co-operative, the Newcastle and Suburban in New South Wales, reached a peak membership of 95,000 in 1978. The three main papers highlight the importance of these organisations in challenging the formal financial sector and strengthening local communities, but recognise the difficulties of maintaining mutuality in a competitive environment. The thematic concludes with a postscript by Ian MacPherson, a leading historian of the co-operative movement, who reinforces the need for labour and working class historians to examine this relatively neglected area and calls for an international comparative approach to further understand the movement. The thematic editors would like to thank the contributors to this special section and to the conference that preceded it. They also acknowledge the assistance of Melanie Oppenheimer, who oversaw the blind refereeing of their papers. |
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There are a number of excellent unsolicited papers in this issue. Mark Westcott reminds us of the tension between democracy and bureaucracy in trade unions by examining the relationship between union officials and delegates of the New South Wales (NSW) Branch of the Federated Engine Drivers and Firemens Association (FEDFA) at the Shell Clyde refinery and the Tooth's breweries in Sydney. Mark found it was possible for democracy and bureaucracy to co-exist where there was a strong delegate organisation. Mark's article emphasises the potential of the large amount of archives that still remain to be explored in our efforts to understand Australian labour and social history. We welcome research that uses both new archive sources and re-examines traditional ones. |
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Neville Kirk contributes to anti-labour history by noting how the politics of loyalism to nation and empire was significant in the Right's electoral domination between 1917 and the early 1930s. Geoffrey Troughton also considers another conservative attack on labour during this period in New Zealand, where the only trial for blasphemy in that country's history took place against the labour newspaper the Maoriland Worker. Mal Harrop examines how the victory of the Labor Party in a by-election in the electorate of Corio in 1940 undermined the development of an Australian-owned car industry, while Donna Dwyer fills a gap in feminist labour history by studying the fight by women temporary teachers in Victoria during the mid-1950s for employment rights. Jeff Shaw rounds of the refereed articles with examination of the life of trade union lawyer Jack Sweeney. Echoing points in Mark Westcott's article, he observes how Sweeney as a judge balanced the rights of rank-and-file unionists against the concerns of union leaders for equitable collective agreements. |
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The issue has a number of other significant contributions. There is our usual excellent collection of book reviews. In addition to the obituary for Ken Buckley, we have an obituary for Bede Nairn, another significant Australian labour historian, and a further obituary for John Cummins, a staunch leader in the CFMEU. The Federal Executive of the Australian Society for the Study of Labour History (ASSLH) has established a fund in Bede Nairn's honour to recognise his important contribution to Australian labour history and fund special branch activities. There is a report on the recent conference in Melbourne celebrating the 150th. anniversary of the eight hour day. Members will receive a bonus issue of Labour History early next year which will deal with this major event in Australian labour history and include refereed papers from the conference. |
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One important change should be noted by contributors for the future. It was decided by the Federal Executive of ASSLH in June that authors in this and future issues of Labour History will no longer receive royalties. This reflects the growing importance of internet access to the journal through libraries as against traditional subscriptions for the printed issue. It also brings the journal into line with the practice of other academic journals. Any monies saved will be used to maintain and improve the standard of the journal both in its online and printed versions. Money will be also diverted to other activities such as conferences, particularly at branch level, and scholarships. |
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