Melbourne Wharf Labourers' Union Certificate of Recognition

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Type: Certificates
Date: 1919
Place: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Materials: Paper
Collection: Andrew Reeves collection no. 5
Accession number: 2006.0030.0018

Description

Beige, brown and blue, lithograph, trade union certificate of recognition. "Melbourne Wharf Labourers' Union / Bureau Dispute / August 13, 1917, TO September 2, 1919" is across the top. The panel in the centre is a photographic representation of the union's banner, which is headed "MELBOURNE WHARF LABOURERS UNION". It has a small vignette of a man failing to break a bound bundle of sticks across his knee, titled "UNION IS STRENGTH", which is an allegorical reference to the Aesopian fable. A sailing ship and a steamship are depicted in two larger vignettes below it. "ESTABLISHED / MAY 23RD 1885" is in a two-part scroll, that is separated by two reclining woman. One of the women is holding a fouled anchor and the other an Aesculapian staff[?]. Between them is an emblem composed of three entwined "8"s [a reference to the union's campign for eight hours each of labour, rest and recreation]. "To H. Clarke / In Recognition of the Generous Assistance Rendered to the / Distressed Wives and Families of Members of the Melbourne Wharf Labourers' Union from May 19, 1919 to Sept. 2, 1919" is on the dedication panel. It is signed by "Fred L.[?] Bates, President / ...[?] Riley, Financial Organizer [sic] / Alice A. Warburton, Sec. Women's & Children's Relief Committee / G. W.[?] Baker, Treasurer / Raymund D.[?] Colgrave, / ...[?] Smith / J. Cottrell, Committee / J. Cadden[?], Secretary". The certificate is bent and cracked top right corner. The reverse bears adhesive tape stains and remnants. "CAMERON" is on the bottom of the banner panel. "VIC TYPO / SOCIETY / UNION LABEL" is in the bottom border.

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, 6:01:30 am). Record last updated by the Museum 2025-02-24. Licence: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/.