Victorian May Day March

The history books tell us that in 1891, more than 1340 shearers took part in the May Day march at Barcaldine. Henry Lawson captured the spirit of the striking shearers in his beautiful and powerful Freedom's on the Wallaby:

So we must fly a rebel flag
As others did before us,
And we must sing a rebel song
And join in rebel chorus
We'll make the tyrants feel the sting
O' those that they would throttle;
They needn't say the fault is ours
If blood should stain the wattle

With The Howard Government obsessed with trying to break unions, it's important that as many ETU members as possible attend. The march will be followed by a May Day Tea and Concert in Treasury Gardens . For those who might be wondering, May Day marches started in Melbourne in 1883.

Date: Sunday May 1, 2005
Time: 2:00 pm
Venue: Trades Hall corner of Lygon and Victoria Streets, Carlton South

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