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The 1919 Fremantle Wharf riot, also known as the ''Battle of the Barricades'', arose out of a
The funeral of Edwards at
Monument Australia listing
Labour disputes in Australia History of Fremantle 1919 in Western Australia 1919 labor disputes and strikes Maritime strikes Riots and civil disorder in Western Australia May 1919 events
strike
Strike may refer to:
People
* Strike (surname)
Physical confrontation or removal
*Strike (attack), attack with an inanimate object or a part of the human body intended to cause harm
*Airstrike, military strike by air forces on either a suspected ...
by stevedore
A stevedore (), also called a longshoreman, a docker or a dockworker, is a waterfront manual laborer who is involved in loading and unloading ships, trucks, trains or airplanes.
After the shipping container revolution of the 1960s, the number ...
s in Fremantle, Western Australia in 1919. The strike was called by the Waterside Workers' Federation
The Waterside Workers' Federation of Australia (WWF) was an Australian trade union that existed from 1902 to 1993. After a period of negotiations between other Australian maritime unions, it was federated in 1902 and first federally registered ...
(WWF) over the use of National Waterside Workers Union (NWWU) workers to unload the quarantined ship ''Dimboola'', and escalated into fatal violence when WWF workers and supporters attempted to prevent NWWU members from carrying out the work.
Background
In 1917, the Fremantle Lumpers Union refused to load ships that they believed were destined to take supplies to Germany, then an enemy nation. This belief was denied by the government of the day (but was later proven to be correct), and in response the shipowners and government brought in strike-breakers under the National Waterside Workers Union banner. This was intended to be only for the job at hand, but the NWWU labour continued to be employed after the immediate need, and despite their willingness the WWF workers were prevented from returning to work for some time.Riot
On 4 May 1919, the WWF were blockading the wharf to prevent the NWWU workers from reaching ''Dimboola''. The NWWU workers, however, arrived in boats down the river, accompanied by the recently appointed Western Australian Premier, Hal Colebatch. In the fracas, Tom Edwards, a union worker, was attempting to assist the WWF president William Renton when he was struck on the head by a police baton. He died three days later atFremantle Hospital
Fremantle Hospital is an Australian public hospital situated on South Terrace in central Fremantle, southwest of Perth, Western Australia.
It was formerly the major hospital in its region; however, with the opening of Fiona Stanley Hospi ...
.
Aftermath
The funeral of Edwards at Fremantle Cemetery
Fremantle Cemetery is a cemetery located in the eastern part (Palmyra) of Fremantle, Western Australia. Established in 1898, it is known as the final resting place of Bon Scott, several murderers and dozens of other notable Australians. There ...
attracted a large crowd numbering into the thousands including fellow wharf workers and most members of the Western Australian parliamentary Labor Party.
An inquest into the riot found that Edwards' death was accidental.
A memorial fountain was sculpted by Pietro Porcelli in Edwards' honour.
It was located over time in a number of locations and is now found in Kings Square.Monument Australia listing
Further reading
*References
{{reflist, 30emLabour disputes in Australia History of Fremantle 1919 in Western Australia 1919 labor disputes and strikes Maritime strikes Riots and civil disorder in Western Australia May 1919 events