Darwin Rebellion

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The Darwin Rebellion that took place on 17 December 1918, was the culmination of Australian trade workers union unrest between 1911 and 1919. Led by Harold Nelson, some 1000 demonstrators marched to Government House at Liberty Square in Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia where they burnt an effigy of the Administrator of the Northern Territory John Gilruth and demanded his resignation.^[1]

Their grievances were against the two main Northern Territory employers; Vestey’s Meatworks and the Commonwealth of Australia, concerning political representation, unemployment and taxation.^[2] Gilruth left Darwin soon afterwards under the protection of HMAS Encounter, while the Vestey company closed its Darwin operations in 1920.

Contents 1 Background 1.1 Dr. John A. Gilruth 1.2 The 1913 strike 1.3 Vesteys meatworks 1.4 Nationalisation of hotels 2 Rebellion 3 Aftermath 4 References 5 Further reading

[edit] Background

From 1863 until 1911, Northern Territory residents were entitled to vote in both South Australia and Commonwealth elections.^[3] This status had also enabled Territorians to qualify as South Australian voters in elections for both Houses of the Commonwealth Parliament after Federation in 1901.^[2] The Commonwealth Constitution did not allow for Federal electorates to cross state borders, and national governments shied away from a hypothetical impasse where a thousand Territory voters might some day hold the balance of power in an evenly divided Commonwealth Parliament.^[4] Of the approximately 5 million white Australians living on the continent, only 1,729 lived in the Northern Territory, along with about 1,300 Chinese and an unknown number of Aborigines.^[5]

After 1911, the Northern Territory was run by an administrator appointed by the Commonwealth executive; a public servant answerable to the Commonwealth. In the years that followed Commonwealth Administration, Territorians became increasingly unhappy with unrepresentative government from afar.^[6] The few economic pursuits; pearling, pastoralism, and mining were all run-down. Great hopes were held for Commonwealth-led development, but they came to nothing as Federal funding was diverted towards Australia's participation in World War I. Consequently, conflict between labour unions and the Northern Territory administration began to grow.^[5]

[edit] Dr. John A. Gilruth

Dr. John A. Gilruth arrived in Darwin in April 1912, after Prime Minister Andrew Fisher invited him to join a scientific mission to inviestigate the potential of the Northern Territory. He was given the position of Administrator of the Northern Territory.^[7] Gilruth's northern expedition sparked his enthusiasm for economic development of the Territory by means of mining, crop-growing and pastoralism.^[8]

From the beginning his plans went awry. Territorians and the Federal government alike held unrealistically high hopes for economic development, yet half expected failure because such was seen to have been the result of all earlier efforts by South Australia in the Territory. Thus every set-back was doubly condemned. Gilruth did his best to promote agriculture, mining and, after initial doubts, the development of meatworks in Darwin by the giant English firm, Vesteys. All proved disappointing and with the outbreak of World War I in August 1914, an already wavering Commonwealth government lost interest in development of the Northern Territory.^[8]

Rightly or wrongly, the weight of public frustration fell upon Gilruth. However, his own character and actions helped to bring about that result. His blunt, dynamic style of leadership was respected and he was able to show best the personal kindliness and loyalty which endeared subordinates to him. However, among the heterogeneous population of the Northern Territory he was seen as arrogant and insensitive. He went to Darwin predisposed to treat the Chinese with reserve, the Aboriginals with heavy-handed paternalism and the white trade unionists with suspicion.^[8]

[edit] The 1913 strike

The construction of the railway line from Port Darwin to Pine Creek in the late 1880s required immigration of Chinese labour. In December 1888, the South Australian Chinese Immigration Act came into effect, effectively putting a stop to the increase.^[9] Those Chinese workers already in Darwin had proved themselves reliable, hard-working and good citizens. After the decline of the gold rush, it was logical that the Chinese population would compete for jobs with the White population. Not only did Asians compete successfully against Europeans for scarce jobs, but they also expanded into other profitable areas such as vegetable growing and tailoring. Subsequently, the retail trade was almost entirely in Chinese hands and their success was resented by the Europeans.^[10][11]

Given the option, most employers preferred to employ Chinese workers, not necessarily because they were cheaper, but because they were more reliable. The problem faced by European unskilled labourers in the Northern Territory was that no-one cared about their situation. Local employers did not want them, the South Australian Government was indifferent to them, and since they were not unionized, their comrades in southern Australia ignored them.^[10]

On 9 January 1911, the Fisher Labor Government issued a Ministerial instruction to implement the White Australia policy. With the threat of Chinese competition out of the way, the Europeans workers were able to bargain for higher rates of pay. Needing an organisation to represent their interests, the Darwin Amalgamated Workers' Association (AWA) came into existence in 1912. Gilruth was given a free hand to deal with the situation in Darwin and arrived in the midst of a long pay dispute involving wharf lumpers and shipping agents. AWA representatives met with Gilruth several times in 1912 and 1913, but little was resolved.

When the government lowered the wages of survey field hands in April 1913, the AWA conducted a secret ballot amongst its members, which overwhelmingly supported a general strike commencing 28 April.^[12] Although the Darwin strike was in itself insignificant, the threat of widespread national disruption if Chinese labour were used to keep the northern port operational, was significant. After weeks of strike action, the union coffers were empty of strike funds, the parent AWA in Townsville hostile to the whole event, the Federal government coldly indifferent and a number of strikers back at work, it was evident that action was lost. In late May, AWA representatives met with Gilruth to present their terms of surrender, which were modest; the unionists were prepared to return to work as long as the strikers were reinstated to their former positions. Not content with this devastating victory, Gilruth refused, wanting to eliminate all traces of unionism in the Northern Territory.^[10] Although the strike was called-off in the first week of June, it did shape future industrial relations in the Northern Territory.

[edit] Vesteys meatworks

Gilruth had correctly envisaged that, for the foreseeable future, large-scale private enterprise in Darwin would be based on the mining, agriculture and cattle industries. The large British conglomerate, Vestey Brothers, proposed setting up a meat processing plant in Darwin and work commenced in 1914. An analysis of negotiations suggests that neither the government nor Vestey Brothers were fully confident of the success of the venture they were about to undertake. It also showed that Gilruth, as the middleman, was thoroughly influential in its outcome. It was largely through his efforts that Vesteys finally consented to building a meatworks in Darwin.^[10]

Vestey's Meatworks began operation in 1917 on Bullocky Point (current site of the Darwin High School) in Darwin. Vesteys entry into the Northern Territory was by far the most encouraging development in the whole history of the region. However, due to the labour shortage, labourers were taking advantage of the situation and requesting outrageous wages through regular strikes. As a result, Vestey's could not make the meatworks profitable. Its closure significantly affected the already struggling Territory economy by putting hundreds of labourers out of work. Additionally, a conspiracy was uncovered between the Government and Vestey's regarding the illegal takeover of a large pastoral property. Gilruth was said to be distributing $40,000 worth of bribes and the Government Secretary, Carey (also the Chief Clerk at the meatworks), was deeply involved.^[13]

It was thought that Vesteys, with its accumulated experience in other similar ventures elsewhere, would be able to develop the Territory by the unfettered use of capital and enterprise in the large-scale exploitation of the one commodity northern Australia produced well, cattle. The inescapable conclusion is that this is what Gilruth and the Federal government fully expected. From the time of the meatworks establishment in 1914, until its closure seven years later in 1920, Vesteys Darwin venture existed in a vacuum filled only by the emergent Australian Workers' Union (AWU) and by World War I. During that time, Gilruth came to matter less and less as the AWU gathered strength under the leadership of Harold Nelson.^[10][14]

[edit] Nationalisation of hotels

On 29 September 1915, an Ordinance passed by the Federal Executive Council in Melbourne nationalised the supply of liquor in the Northern Territory.^[15] The legislation was ostensibly aimed at Chinese 'sly-groggers' often accused of selling low quality liquor, but in effect was designed to curb consumption of alcohol in northern Australia and provide some revenue to the Federal budget. Known as the 'government-takeover', penalties were steep and costs of administration and auditing the hotels rose rapidly. There was also some unwelcome side-effects with the closure of several popular hotels and the appointment by Gilruth of a 'supervisor of hotels', at a high salary. Consequently, the price of beer and whisky rapidly increased.^[16] Gilruth had also ordered the closure of the public bar in the popular Victoria Hotel and as a result, the hotel was losing money.^[10]

In 1918, several station owners and businessmen abandoned the Territory, including the manager of the State Liquor Department, because of Gilruth's policies. However, the mistake that helped finish Gilruth's disastrous career in the Territory, was trivial. As Darwinites prepared to celebrate the end of the war, the girls employed in the state hotels asked for a few hours off on Saturday, 14 November to join in the celebrations. The hotel boarders agreed to dine elsewhere and everybody thought the matter was closed. However, Gilruth refused to concede leave for the girls, who took the time off anyway. When they returned to work the next day, they found themselves locked out by order of the Administrator. On Saturday afternoon, 7 December, there was a meeting at Darwin oval attended by several hundred people about what the government planned to do about ever-increasing alcohol prices and the reopening of the Victoria Hotel public bar. On 16 December, Nelson met with the Police Inspector and asked for permission to stage a peaceful protest march from Paraparap to Government House. The Police Inspector gave permission on the condition there would be no violence.^[10]

[edit] Rebellion

On the afternoon of 17 December 1918, stop-work meetings were held in Darwin and at the meatworks. About 1,000 men walked to Government House behind a car carrying an effigy of Gilruth tied to a stake demanding 'no taxation without representation'.^[17] A deputation presented a motion to Gilruth that stated in part:

“

We, the citizens of Darwin here assembled ask that the Administrator address us regarding his administration of the Territoy of the last five years. Failing to comply that he be asked if he is willing to leave Darwin by the steamer and remain away until a public commission is granted on his administration. This meeting will guarantee him safe conduct to the steamer....[18]

”

Gilruth refused to address the crowd only making a statement that he was answerable to the Minister and would not and did not recognise the citizens of Darwin as having any authority over him. The crowd outside became tense and impatient. They demanded that Gilruth appear before them within five minutes to vindicate himself. Surprisingly, Gilruth complied but he was defiant, inviting the crowd to gaze upon him and stating if recalled by the Minister he would leave, but under no other circumstances would he leave his post.^[18][10]

As the crowd swelled, part of the picket fence around Government House collapsed and the union leader, Harold Nelson, called out, "over the fence boys".^[10] The crowd swarmed across the garden into Government House. For a few moments, Gilruth was roughly handled and abused as he attempted to flee into the residence. Windows were broken and the wire netting removed from the tennis court. Eventually, the crowd dispersed, but not before they carried Gilruth's effigy to the front gate of Government House, soaked it in kerosene and set it alight.

Gilruth stated later in a letter to the Prime Minister that he was perfectly aware that had he promised to reduce the price of beer (at the expense of the Australian taxpayer) the mob would have departed peacefully, but though this would have been 'diplomatic,' to purchase peace at this price would have been condemned by the Minister and the Treasury.^[10] The Government was alarmed and a gunboat arrived in Darwin harbour a week later. Another meeting was held in January 1919 and a telegram sent from the meeting to the acting Prime Minister which read:

“

We, the citizens of the Northern Territory, beseechingly implore you to recall the Administrator, Dr. Gilruth, in the interests of life and property, as his autocratic administration is fast reaching a grave crisis.[18]

”

In the weeks that followed, Gilruth and his family were virtual prisioners within the residence. The lightly armed gunboat HMAS Una arrived within a week to protect the Administrator, anchoring beneath the Government House cliff on Christmas eve. On 20 February 1919, Gilruth left Darwin by his own accord and boarded HMAS Encounter, a cruiser with eleven 6-inch guns and nine 12-pounder guns, still the Administrator, but now prepared to function from Melbourne.^[19] His departure effectively ended what was to become commonly-known and called the Darwin Rebellion.

[edit] Aftermath

War-time censorship prevented the news of the storming of Government House in Darwin reaching the national press until the following Thursday afternoon. The news was received with great interest. The national press reacted in a predictable way blaming a Soviet establishment in Darwin to Russian aliens, to total anarchy, to an uncaring Federal government and Gilruth himself.^[10][19] The rebellion was described as the nearest thing to a revolution since the Eureka Stockade at Ballarat in 1854.^[20]

In November 1919, the Hon. Norman Kirkwood Ewing of the Tasmanian Supreme Court was appointed to Chair a Royal Commission on Northern Territory Administration.^[21][22] The outcome of the Royal Commission was the Northern Territory Representation Act 1922 (Cwlth) which provided for one Northern Territory member of the House of Representatives; the member had no voting rights, could not be chosen to be the Speaker or Chairman of Committees, and was not counted for quorum or majority determination purposes in the House.^[4][23]

Imprisoned at Fannie Bay Gaol for his 'no taxation without representation' campaign, Harold Nelson won the first Territory seat in the House of Representatives in 1922 and held the seat until 1934.^[1][24][25]

[edit] References

[edit] Further reading

• Jensen, H. I. (1966). The Darwin Rebellion. Labour History, no 11, November 1966, pp 3–13. Canberra. OCLC 84284994