Victorian Railways Union Certificate of appreciation

View this record on the National Museum of Australia's website

Type: Certificates of appreciation
Date: 1908 - 1910
Place: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Murtoa, Victoria, Australia
Materials: Ink, Paper
Collection: Andrew Reeves collection no. 5
Accession number: 2006.0030.0020

Description

Trade union past officers coloured lithograph certificate with hand-coloured lettering. In the top proper right corner there is a vignette of a bridge titled 'RAILWAY BRIDGE / HEYINGTON', and in the top left is one of an oncoming steam train, which is titled 'ADELAIDE EXPRESS / LEAVING MELBOURNE'. Below that is 'VICTORIAN RAILWAYS', which is flanked by yellow, purple and white flowers / a winged, spoked, railway wheel / 'UNION / PAST / OFFICER'S CERTIFICATE / PRESENTED / To C. O'Loughlin / IN RECOGNITION / OF SERVICES RENDERED / As Secretary / of the Murtoa Branch / year 1911-12 / Pat Smyth, Gen. President / Frank Hyett, Gen. Secretary.'. Down the proper right side are vignettes of; a large building, a mine; and a railway signal house, and down the left side are; an oncoming steam train, a group of sailing ships in harbour, and a railway ganger's small trolley car. A circular red paper seal, which is pasted onto the bottom of the certificate adjacent to the signatures is 60 percent missing. Maker's mark 'J. D. Michie, Des Pinx' [Designatus Pinxit - Designated Painter].

About the collection

The Andrew Reeves collection consists of twenty-three trade union certificates used in Australia from 1860-1970. They are generally in good condition considering their age, use and material (paper based). They cover a range of Australian worker's unions, including a number which either were amalgamated into larger unions or ceased to exist. The period between the 1850s and the 1970s spans a key time in the development, working condition gains and various ebbs and flow of Australian trade unions. Certificates in this collection document achievements including the eight hour work day but also allow reflection on the dwindling support for unions during the 20th century. In addition, as the designs of Australian certificates follow the centuries old British tradition of union emblems they provide examples of links between worker's organisations in Australia and England.

Read live from the Museum's Collection API (12/11/2026, 6:06:50 am). Record last updated by the Museum 2026-09-30. Licence: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/.