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Women & Unionism

WIVES, mothers and daughters of Illawarra’s coal miners were powerful voices in the great industrial revolution of the late 19th century.

They rallied behind their men folk with unbound enthusiasm showing overwhelming support in the industrial battles of the 1880s and 90s.

Unionism had been around in the Illawarra since 1878 but it was not until the 1880s women made a dramatic enrichment towards working conditions for their sons and husbands.

Violent incidents were common on NSW coalfields, especially against non-unionists. Such incidents often started with women shouting threats and beating tins (tin kettling) or throwing stones, with the men prepared to enter the fray if non-unionists or police challenged the women. Cutting telegraph wires, barricading road and rail, intimidating non-strikers, and tarring and feathering were strategies used by the unionists.

A six month strike from September 1886 to February 1887 at Bulli Colliery protesting a reduction in wages caused great bitterness within the community. Evictions from company houses to make way for “free labourers” brought from Sydney resulted in heated clashes.

Women became involved in the dispute during January 1887 when 40 so called “black legs” arrived by boat at Bulli jetty.

Over 300 unionists and 150 women were waiting at Sandon Point. The free labourers, aboard the company’s coal wagons, were blocked by the angry crowd where the tramway crossed the main road in Bulli village.

The women led the way, some with babies in arms, pleading with the non-union men not to take their husband’s jobs.

While the blockade was a success, with the non-unionists deciding to return to Sydney, the strike failed with many of the unionists returning to the Bulli mine to be killed in a massive methane gas explosion.

One of the 81 killed in the March 1887 explosion was George Ralph, younger brother of 23-year-old Fanny Strachan of Woonona.

Fanny and John Strachan of Woonona

Fanny and her husband John, also a miner, had three young children all under the age of 4 when 20 year-old George was killed in the tragedy.

Fanny was born in the fruit growing village of Sherbrooke on Bulli Mountain in 1864 before marrying John Strachan at St Augustine’s Church of England at Bulli in 1884.

By the 1890s the Strachans lived on Bennetts Hill, near the present Woonona Bulli RSL on the Princes Highway, from where John worked as a wheeler at South Bulli Colliery. John, with three young children to feed, decided to risk the consequences of working through a strike at South Bulli pit, along with his father-in-law Thomas Ralph, in 1893. It was a dangerous decision, but times were tough and John, to the great worry of his wife, defied the union.

Trouble was brewing on January 30 1893 when eight or nine union men waited for the strike-breakers in bushes beside the South Bulli incline at 3pm.

Constables Reynolds and Kelly were called to escort several men safely home from their shift and Fanny and her mother Caroline Ralph, who also ran the Black Diamond Guest House, anxiously made their way to the pit to meet their spouses. I

That evening the Strachan home was subject to the traditional tin kettling by local women and children because of John’s actions.

The police were called and three women were charged with riotous behaviour in a public thoroughfare.

Fanny told the Bulli bench of magistrates that her neighbour Mary Baywater, wife of South Bulli miners’ lodge secretary James Baywater, came from her house belting an old kerosene tin with a stick. She was joined by wives of striking miners including Fanny Brownhill and Sarah Moore.

Bennetts Hill, Woonona at about the time the Strachans resided in one of the cottages.

“The tin-kettling was directed to my house because my husband was working. These women played on these tin kettles for half an hour, and when they had exhausted themselves they sent their children to finish it. I heard Mrs Baywater say to some children…‘Go closer with the kettles – right up to the Strachan’s place’. And the children came right up to our place,” Fanny Strachan told Bulli Court magistrates.

One witness said he saw around 25 boys in front of Strachan’s place beating tins that evening.

The three women, defended by solicitor Francis Woodward, strongly denied the charges, but the evidence was overwhelming. They were each fined 10 shillings, with 6 shillings and 8 pence court costs, and 7 shillings professional fee. As was the practice, the fines were most likely paid by the lodge.

Fanny Strachan’s father died in Woonona in 1912 aged 73, while her husband John continued in the industry working in the Old Bulli Colliery stables caring for pit ponies until his retirement aged 58 in 1917. He died at Woonona aged 73 in 1930.

Fanny lived her days out in Bulli continuing her tireless voluntary work for Bulli Hospital and passionately following her love of local soccer.

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My favourite story is also about the great Bulli strike. A trailhead of scab coal slowed for the signals at Scarborough and a large group of men jumped the train, fully armed with coal shovels. By the time the train got to Waterfall the coal hoppers were empty. The episode is memorialized in the song ‘ The Wind Blew the Coal Away.

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PUB BOOK – IDEAL GIFT

THE LOCAL, A History of Hotels and the Liquor Industry in the Far Northern Illawarra of NSW, by Mick Roberts is selling fast with less than 20 copies available. The 115 page glossy page book features histories of pubs in Helensburgh, Clifton, Scarborough and Austinmer. The book has now SOLD OUT. Copies may be found at Wollongong Library.

BULLI BRIEFS

UNUSUAL FALL

SYDNEY. January 3.
Mr. T. Freeman, electrical engineer
for the Bulli Shire, while staying at
a hotel at Moss Vale, mistook French window for a doorway at
night, stepped out, and he fell 20
feet to the paved yard below. His
thigh was fractured in five places.
His condition is serious.
- The Advertiser (Adelaide, SA) Wednesday 4 January 1933

MISSING DUNNY

In these days of fuel scarcity, food and clothing rationing, many things are stolen, but probably one of the strangest thefts was the one reported to the Bulli Shire Council on Monday night by the South Thirroul Surf Life Saving Club, who reported that the lavatories at the beach had been pulled down and stolen during the winter."
- Illawarra Mercury Friday 10 December 1943.

SOMEBODY’S BLUNDER

A colossal stack of coal, estimated to contain 65,000 tons has been lying at Bulli since 1917. It is deteriorating and has probably lost 65 per cent of its value. No one definitely knows who owns it, but it is believed to have been bought by Mr. Hughes for the Commonwealth, at a cost of £100,000.
- Geraldton Guardian (WA) Thursday 24 January 1924.

BELLAMBI COAL

BULLI, Friday - The shipments of coal from Port Bellambi last week totalled 3750 tons. Of this quantity 550 tons went to Victoria, 250 tons to New Zealand, and the balance to Sydney.
- Sydney Evening News Saturday 5 December 1896.

BULLI NEW HALL

Bulli, Tuesday.
The splendid new hall recently erected by the Odd fellows was opened, last evening, by the Lynch Family of Bellringers, who afforded a musical treat. The building was densely packed, fully 700 persons being present. The hall is a very fine one, and quite a credit to the district.
- Sydney Evening News Wednesday 20 January 1886.

BULLI SOIL

Over 160 bags of Bulli soil was shipped at the [Bulli] jetty on Monday last to be used for
the Melbourne Cricket Ground pitch. This soil was selected out of many samples forwarded from other parts of the State.
- Illawarra Mercury Saturday 21 March 1903

TELEGRAPH ARRIVES

BULLI. Wednesday.
The telegraph to Clifton village, at Coal Cliff, was completed last night, and a message sent through this morning to Electric Telegraph Department in Sydney.
- The Maitland Mercury Saturday 27 April 1878.

PROGRESSIVE BULLI

A record building year was experienced in the Shire during 1927, when 125 new buildings,
valued at £60,496, were erected, and additions numbering 97, with a value of £39,344, were also constructed. In addition to these amounts Public school buildings are being built at a cost of £18,000.
- The Sydney Morning Herald Tuesday 17 January 1928

FLOWER PICKING FINES

At Bulli Court today 19 persons, all from the metropolitian area,were fined for picking Christmas bells on Crown land, near top of Bulli Pass during Christmas week. Evidence was given that defendants were caught with from 12 to 100 bells in their possession. The fines ranged from £1 to £2. Many of the defendants stated that they did not know they were offending. Mr. Hardwick, S.M., advised them to read the newspapers.
- The Sydney Morning Herald Saturday 29 January 1938.

BOYS BRAVERY

A verdict of accidental death was returned by the Bulli Coroner, Mr.
Keegan, to-day, at the inquiry into the death of Mrs. Florence Angwin, and her son and daughter, Francis, 8, and Lola, 6, who were drowned at Helensburgh on Boxing Day. The Coroner congratulated Hugh and Alexander Blair for the bravery they
displayed in going to the rescue. He expressed the opinion that their action should be recognised by the Royal Humane Society.
- Daily Examiner (Grafton, NSW) Friday 17 January 1936.

HEALTHY BULLI

INFECTIOUS DISEASED
Lowest On Record
IN BULLI SHIRE
With only nine cases of infectious disease during the year the Bulli Shire has constituted a record for the thirty six years of Its existence.
Two cases of scarlet fever were reported last month, making five case for the year; there were two cases' of diphtheria, one of which was a visitor from the metropolitan area, and had been contracted before the sufferer visited the Shire. There was one case of meningitis' and one of puerperal fever. The report was received with satisfaction.
- Illawarra Mercury Thursday 24 December 1942.

HURLED 20 FEET

After receiving, a shock from a high-tension wire, Herbert Ashford, of Bulli, was hurled 20 feet. He suffered only severe shock, Ashford took shelter in an iron shed while men digging a pipe line fired; a charge of explosive. A stone from the charge brought down a high-tension wire, which fell against the shed. Ashford, who was leaning against the shed, was thrown out of
the door on to the road.
- Albury Banner Friday 23 December 1938.

Gaming Raids

Members of the CIB vice squad, under Inspector Crothers, raided billiard saloons at Coledale, Thirroul, Bulli, and Austinmer on Friday night and arrested five men on charges of managing and conducting common gaming houses. The police seized 17 poker machines. The men will appear at the Bulli Court next Friday. - Sunday Herald (Sydney) Sunday 3 June 1951.

Bulli Pass Pavilion

'Traveller' writes: The pavilion
recently erected at the "Look-out", instead of answering the purpose intended is the common resort of tramps, whose ideas of tidiness are very small, consequently what was intended as a public boon to sightseers is now neither use nor ornament. - Illawarra Mercury Saturday 21 March 1903.

Dirty Deed

RECENTLY it was stated that one
of the new doors at the lavatories
at Wentworth Oval, Portland, had
been taken away by some un-authorised person. At South Thirroul, on the Illawarra Line, they go even further. Probably one of the strangest thefts was the one reported at last meeting of Bulli Shire Council by the Thirroul Life Saving Club that the lavatories at the beach had been pulled down, and stolen during the winter. - Mudgee Guardian Thursday 6 January 1944.

Unusual Operation

THE Sydney Hospital dealt with an unusual case yesterday, when half a set of false teeth was removed from the stomach of Samuel Fielding, of Woonona, near Bulli. Fielding went to sleep with his false teeth in his mouth on Saturday night, and during the night the plate cracked, and half the set slipped down his throat. Fielding does not know whether he will risk settlng another set. - Daily Standard (Brisbane, Qld) Thursday 17 February 1927

Feathered Patient

OFFICERS of Bulli Ambulance Station recently had
an unusual "patient"
when a champion pigeon
was brought to them by
its owner, Mr L. Strachan of Bulli, for treatment.
The unfortunate bird was
badly gashed when it dived
at high speed into a prong
of the television aerial on
Mr. Strachan's home.
The owner, wishing to
save his champion, took it to Bulli Ambulance Station, where officers inserted 22 stitches in the wound. After stitching, the bird seemed to be doing quite well but unfortantely later died, probaly from shock. - Western Herald (Bourke, NSW) Friday 29 October 1965

Big Bullocky at Bulli

ANOTHER big bullock, purchased as a prize winner at Sydney Show, was this week served up to customers at Floyd's butcher shop (corner Park Road and Main Road), Bulli. Mr. Jack Floyd surprised several by carrying from the cart to the block a forequarter, which weighed 440 lbs. - Illawarra Mercury Friday 1 May 1925.

Drunk & Disorderly

Elwyn Hale Broad, Joseph Cassidy and Edward Laughlin were each
charged with being drunk and disorderly in main road, Bulli, on October 26th. They pleaded guilty.
Sergeant Newland said the men
were arrested on the verandah of the Bulli Family Hotel. They were
wrestling with one another. Cassidy and Laughlin were each fined 10/- or 24 hours, and Broad £1 or two days. - South Coast Times Friday 1 November 1935.

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