Fredrick George Evans (11 February 1881 – 13 November 1912) was an

Australian Australian(s) may refer to: Australia * Australia, a country * Australians, citizens of the Commonwealth of Australia ** European Australians ** Anglo-Celtic Australians, Australians descended principally from British colonists ** Aboriginal Au ...

industrial worker who rose to prominence for his role and death in the

Waihi miners' strike The Waihi miners' strike was a major strike action in 1912 by gold miners in the New Zealand town of Waihi. It is widely regarded as the most significant industrial action in the history of New Zealand's labour movement. It resulted in one strik ...

. To date he is one of the only two people to die in an

industrial dispute Strike action, also called labor strike, labour strike, or simply strike, is a work stoppage caused by the mass refusal of employees to Labor (economics), work. A strike usually takes place in response to grievance (labour), employee grievance ...

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

's history.

Early life

Born in 1881 in

Ballarat Ballarat ( ) is a city in the Central Highlands (Victoria), Central Highlands of Victoria (Australia), Victoria, Australia. At the 2021 Census, Ballarat had a population of 116,201, making it the third largest city in Victoria. Estimated resid ...

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, the younger of twin boys born to Frederick and Catherine (nee Dickson) Evans, Evans lived in his native Australia until 1909 when he moved to New Zealand with his wife and two children. After three years living in New Zealand Evans found a job as a

stationary engine A stationary engine is an engine whose framework does not move. They are used to drive immobile equipment, such as pumps, generators, mills or factory machinery, or cable cars. The term usually refers to large immobile reciprocating engines, pr ...

driver at the

Waihi Waihi is a town in Hauraki District in the North Island of New Zealand, especially notable for its history as a gold mine town. The town is at the foot of the Coromandel Peninsula, close to the western end of the Bay of Plenty. The nearby res ...

goldmine. It was here that his

trade union A trade union (labor union in American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers intent on "maintaining or improving the conditions of their employment", ch. I such as attaining better wages and benefits ( ...

activity was to bring him to public attention.

Waihi Trade Union

Evans was a member of the Waihi Trade Union, affiliated with the militant New Zealand Federation of Labour and in opposition to Evans' employer the Waihi Goldmine Company. In May 1912, a number of stationary engine drivers who rejected the Federation of Labour's strong positions established a breakaway union. Although the Waihi Goldmining Company claimed to have no involvement in the breakaway union, saying that it was a matter of union politics, many workers believed that the Company was attempting to split the union, and called a strike. Evans refused to join the new stationary engine drivers union and worked as a provision storekeeper and newspaper contributor for the Waihi Trade Union. On 12 November, known as "Black Tuesday", a group of armed non-union workers and police attacked the union hall, which was defended by a small group of union workers (also armed). Thomas Johnston, a non-union worker was shot in the knee, and a police constable was shot in the stomach. The shots are believed to have been fired by Evans who was then beaten to the ground by Constable Gerald Wade and trampled by the men running through the hall. Evans was left for an hour and a half in police cells before being taken to hospital. He never regained consciousness and died the following day. Wade was found to have been "fully justified in striking deceased down".

Funeral and legacy

The Federation of Labour organised a funeral in

Auckland Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The List of New Zealand urban areas by population, most populous urban area in the country and the List of cities in Oceania by po ...

at Waikaraka cemetery on 17 November, where thousands of mourners lined the streets. May Evans was given £1100 which had been raised by unionists in order to assist her and her children. Evans was later held by the hardliners up as a hero and a martyr, with

Bob Semple Robert Semple (21 October 1873 – 31 January 1955) was a union leader and later Minister of Public Works for the first Labour Government of New Zealand. He is also known for creating the Bob Semple tank. Early life He was born in Sofala, New ...

saying that Evans had been "doing his duty and should have shot more of them". Image:Frederick_Evans1.jpg, Grave of Fred Evans Image:Frederick_Evans2.jpg, Close up, Grave of Fred Evans Image:Frederick_Evans3.jpg, Close up - Embellishment, Grave of Fred Evans

References

External links

NZHistory.net.nz featureNZHistory.net.nz - The 1912 Waihi strike
{{DEFAULTSORT:Evans, Fred 1912 in New Zealand Industrial Workers of the World members New Zealand trade unionists Australian trade unionists 1881 births 1912 deaths People from Ballarat Burials at Waikaraka Cemetery Industrial Workers of the World in Australia

Early life

Waihi Trade Union

Funeral and legacy

See also

References

External links