The Amalgamated Shearers' Union of Australasia was an early

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

n trade union. It was formed in January 1887 with the amalgamation of the Wagga Shearers Union and Bourke Shearers Union in

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

with the Victorian-based

Australian Shearers' Union The Australian Shearers' Union (also known as the Australasian Shearers Union, sometimes referred to as the Creswick Shearers' Union) was a significant but short-lived early trade union in Victoria and southern New South Wales. It was formed on 12 ...

, with

William Spence William Guthrie Spence (7 August 1846 – 13 December 1926), was an Australian trade union leader and politician, played a leading role in the formation of both Australia's largest union, the Australian Workers' Union, and the Australian Labor ...

as president and David Temple as secretary. In 1886 three organisers were sent to New Zealand to enrol members and set up branches. A special effort was made to recruit Maori members, who were highly represented in the shearing industry (the rules were even printed in Maori). Membership in NZ reached 2,300 in the first year. The Moree Shearers Union in NSW and the South Australian Shearers Union both merged into the union as new branches in 1888, and the union widened its reach to include shearers across the four colonies. However, the union was "constantly at odds with" the Queensland Shearers' Union and never became established in that colony. It helped establish the

General Labourers Union of Australasia A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of highest military ranks, high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers t ...

in 1891 in order to unionise shed-hands and present a united front during industrial action as a result of issues arising from the 1891 shearers' strike, and subsequently merged with the GLUA in 1894 to form the

Australian Workers' Union The Australian Workers' Union (AWU) is one of Australia's largest and oldest trade unions. It traces its origins to unions founded in the pastoral and mining industries in the 1880s and currently has approximately 80,000 members. It has exerci ...

References

{{reflist Defunct trade unions of Australia Sheep shearing Australian sheep industry 1887 establishments in Australia