- Rothbury Riot
On
December 16 ,1929 police drew their revolvers and shot into a crowd of locked-out miners in theNew South Wales town of Rothbury inAustralia , killing a 29 year old miner, Norman Brown, and injuring approximately forty five other miners. The incident became known as the Rothbury Affair or the Rothbury Riot.In 1929 colliery owners on the Northern New South Wales coalfields combined as the Northern Collieries Association. On Thursday 14th February 1929 the mine employers gave their 9,750 employees 14 days notice, that they (the miners) should accept the following new conditions:
:"A wage reduction of 12½ per cent on the contract rates, one shilling ($0.10) a day on the "day wage" rate; all Lodges must give the colliery managers the right to hire and fire without regard to seniority; all Lodges must agree to discontinue pit-top meetings and pit stoppages". [http://amol.org.au/newcastle/greta/roth.html Rothbury Colliery history] Accessed 2 July 2006]
The miners' refused to accept these terms, and on Saturday 2nd March 1929, all miners were "locked out" of their employment. [http://www.cfmeu.com.au/index.cfm?section=3&Category=13&viewmode=content&contentid=7 CFMEU 75th anniversary of Rothbury] Accessed 2 July 2006] .
In September 1929, the NSW State parliament introduced an "Unlawful Assembly Act" designed to suppress the miners, which authorised police to break up any gatherings. [http://amol.org.au/newcastle/greta/roth.html Rothbury Colliery history] Accessed 2 July 2006]
During December 1929 about 4,000 miners were demonstrating against the introduction of non-union labour into the Rothbury mine by the conservative
Thomas Bavin State Government who had taken over the colliery. The State Government called in 400 officers from theNew South Wales Police from other districts to protect the colliery and allow the entry of non-union labour. On the morning of December 16 the miners had marched to the mine gate led by a pipe band. When the miners charged the gate, they were met by baton charges by the police and hand to hand clashes. Then the police drew their revolvers and shot into the crowd. [http://amol.org.au/newcastle/greta/roth.html Rothbury Colliery history] Accessed 2 July 2006]The Sydney Daily Telegraph Pictorial described the event as "the most dramatic industrial clash that has ever shocked Australia." [http://www.reasoninrevolt.net.au/bib/PR0000181.htm Rothbury: The 50th Anniversary] Accessed 2 July 2006]
After fifteen months of starvation and living in poverty, the miners capitulated in June 1930 and returned to work on reduced contract wages. The lockout failed to break the resolve or organisation of the miners union.
The mine finally closed in 1974. A monument in honour of Norman Brown is located at North Rothbury. [http://www.historycooperative.org/journals/lab/84/clifford.html Struggles, Scabs and Schooners: a Labour History Tour with a Pinty] Labour History No 84 May 2003. Accessed 2 July 2006]
References
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