OUR photo this week is of the Eight Hour Day procession as it wound its way through Bathurst on Monday, October 19, 1914. The extended line-up was usually very colourful, featuring various horse-drawn floats and groups of tradesmen marching behind. Albert Gregory, who took this image, photographed the annual Eight Hour Day procession for a number of years.
All trades met at the railway station at 10am before marching to William Street, thence to Piper, George, Durham, then again to William, to Howick, then to George, to Russell, to William, then to the Sports Ground.
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The National Advocate kept locals informed, as shown in this report:
Next Monday is Labor's day, in other words Eight Hour Day.
The committee guiding the success of the demonstration have arranged a splendid programme of events embracing many kinds of sports, and also catering for the gymnastic prowess of Bathurst girls.
The day, as usual, will commence with the procession, a feature of which will be a tip dray display by employees on the Newbridge duplication works.
Entries for the cycle events are a record, 56 having been received for three events.
The latter are the Eight-Hour Wheel Race, the half-mile and local handicap.
The National Advocate Cup will be a source of competition by cadet rifle champions.
A gymnastic display, by the pupils of Miss Boucher, were sure to discover the critical mind of the male spectator.
On the grounds there will be plenty of amusement for children, including merry-go-rounds.
At night picture shows will be held at the Burlington Picture Palace and the School of Arts.
These events came about when a group of Bathurst labourers met in the Temperance Hall on Friday, July 17, 1874 to try to initiate a Bathurst branch of the eight hours system.
With Mr Wilcox in the chair, it was decided to appoint a committee to draw up rules to be presented to a public meeting to be called to adopt measures to carry out the movement.
The meeting was advertised and held on July 24, 1874, with Mr C. Hughes chairing the assembly of vocal citizens.
The rules were read out to those in attendance and approved by the gathering.
Weekly fees were set at one shilling per week along with an initiation fee of one shilling also.
At the same meeting, names were put forward to elect an executive committee. Mr C. Hughes was elected president, Mr Wilcox secretary and treasurer and there was a working committee of W. King, W. Ray, G. Peart, P. McCabe and J. Daley.
After some discussion, it was decided to name the society the Bathurst Labouring Men's Benefit Society.
It was also decided to act immediately to notify local employers, with two weeks' notice, that from the following Monday, no labourers would work longer than eight hours at one shilling per hour as bricklayers or plasterers and, if they worked overtime, two shillings per hour must be paid.
Meanwhile, on hearing that an Eight Hour Society might be formed in Bathurst, the carpenters and joiners decided to call a meeting for Friday, September 11, 1874.
They also decided to form an eight hours association and furthermore that notice would also be given to employers that on and after the first Monday in November, their employees would work eight hours at one shilling and threepence per hour.
Some disgruntled tradespeople then called a meeting some two weeks later, on September 25, 1874, to form the Society of Master Builders.
They, however, decided not to agree to the eight hour system starting on November 1, but to consent to January 1, 1875.
Finally, from October 5, 1886, around October each year an eight hour procession took place through the streets of Bathurst, followed by games and sports on the showgrounds, cricket grounds or the racecourse.
Concerts were held at night.
