Labour Day (Labor Day in the United States) is an annual holiday to celebrate the achievements of workers. Labour Day has its origins in the labour union movement, specifically the eight-hour day movement, which advocated eight hours for work, eight hours for recreation, and eight hours for rest.
In Australia, the Labour Day public holiday is fixed by the various state and territory governments. It is the first Monday in October in the Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales, South Australia and, since 2013, Queensland.
The first march for an eight-hour day by the labour movement occurred in Melbourne on 21 April 1856. On this day stonemasons and building workers on building sites around Melbourne stopped work and marched from the University of Melbourne to Parliament House to achieve an eight-hour day. Their direct action protest was a success, and they are noted as being among the first organised workers in the world to achieve an 8-hour day, with no loss of pay. (Ref Wikipedia)
If you look closely you may spot the numbers 888 on many union buildings across Australia. Do you know why?
I left town and spent some time at my friends. I came across a mob of kangaroos when I was walking in the bush.
The weather was just too perfect not to take advantage of and spend a night around the fire.
No work tomorrow
Reblogged this on ' Ace Friends News ' and commented:
Fabulous post Kristin really informative great 🌟
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Thanks Ian ✌
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Welcome really great post. 😀
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lovely photos – pity all those gains hard-won for us have been lost in the big corporate grabs
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Hi Maureen, yes, I was thinking myself we have slipped backwards. Bring back 888 ✌
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Hello from Sydney, I hope you have a great day.
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Thanks Robert, and you have a great week ✌
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In Victoria, we had a public holiday on Friday (pre AFL Grand Final, for goodness’ sakes). I shan’t comment on what I think of the comparison with the origin of Labour day!
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Lovely post!
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Thanks Margaret. Give the Birthday Pup a hug from me 🙂
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Thanks for liking our blog – loving the look of yours too and super jealous at your photos of the kangaroos. Visited Australia many, many times but as yet haven’t seen much of the wildlife in the actual wild – one day!
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Hi, thanks for visiting and taking time to comment. There are plenty of wild roos around away from built up areas. Late afternoon or early morning best times to see them. Lots of dead ones on the sides of the inland highways. Bullbars are called roobars outback. We don’t travel on the inland roads dawn & dusk & prefer not at night to avoid the kangaroos.
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I’m sure I’ll get to see one in the wild one day – but yes would prefer it alive and “happy”. 🙂
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