Australian Digital Theses Program

Thesis Details
Title	'FIGHTING IN THE GRAND CAUSE':A HISTORY OF THE TRADE UNION MOVEMENT IN ROCKHAMPTON 1907 – 1957
Author	Webster, Barbara Grace
Institution	Central Queensland University
Date	1999
Abstract	Research of a wide range of primary sources informs this work, including hitherto unstudied local union records, oral testimony, contemporary newspapers, government and employer reports. Conclusions reached in this dissertation are that while the founders of the local trade union movement shared a vision of improving the lot of workers in their employment and in the wider social context, and they endeavoured to establish effective structures and organisation to this end, their efforts were of mixed success. They succeeded eminently in improving and protecting the employment conditions of workers to contemporary expectations through effective exploitation of political and institutional channels and through competent and conservative local leadership. However, the additional and loftier goal of creating a better life for workers outside the workplace through local combined union action were much less successful, foiled not only by overwhelming economic difficulties, but also by a local sense of working-class consciousness which was muted by the particular social and cultural context of Rockhampton.
Thesis	01front.pdf 7027.0 Kb 02chapter1.pdf 1844.2 Kb 03chapter2.pdf 1228.2 Kb 04chapter3.pdf 5620.0 Kb 05chapter4.pdf 1005.6 Kb 06chapter5.pdf 1982.7 Kb 07chapter6.pdf 2227.2 Kb 08chapter7.pdf 1904.4 Kb 09chapter8.pdf 571.3 Kb 10chapter9.pdf 1502.8 Kb 11conclusion.pdf 134.9 Kb 12Bibliography.pdf 163.3 Kb 13appendix.pdf 252.4 Kb