The Story of Living and Working The Story of Living and Working Conditions in the Australia of Conditions in the Australia of

1901-19141901-1914

By Patrick KramerBy Patrick Kramer

The Poem of Yesteryears

(A Story of Living and Working Conditions in the Australia of 1901-1914)

Oh as I sit in my dingy on all fours,I bear the memories of yesteryears chores.They are memories that shall never forsake me,Memories that shall never leave me.

T’was the turn of the 20th century,A new era for Australia was elementary.The Constitution of Australia was supposedly second to none,As the six British colonies were finally at one.

Written from the Perspective of a Sydney-Based Working man’s Memories of the time.

The Federation, the Federation they called it,January 1901 t’was deemed fit.With that, gone were the days of self governing,The shining new Commonwealth was hovering.

The idea of nationalism had prevailed,As the dignitaries stood proud and hailed.The system had certainly promised change,Something that clearly remained out of range.

The Poem of Yesteryears

The Poem of Yesteryears

Edmund Barton was our first Prime Minister,The idea of a government sounded all too sinister.Nonetheless, life remained,The possibility of trade was now unrestrained.

City life remained hard for all,The next few years were a struggle for all.The streets were dusty, noisy and unclean,A large testament to a repulsive scene.

The Poem of Yesteryears

Travelling along the wood-paved streets,We’d venture hurriedly in our horse-drawn seats.In venturing as men, we would keep those farriers in their game,For these horses, these horses, how important they became.

In the streets of lowing cattle,Walking through the mud, dust and horse manure proved quite a battle.The daunting smells and uninviting gutters,Were the very least of our clutters.

The Poem of Yesteryears

As the sunlight would struggle feebly between the houses tall,The foetid air would shadow us all.For we longed for the good life, the clean air,The open spaced bush, so very fair.

We men would spend most of our day working,There simply was no time for leisure and shirking.We’d shoulder one another in our nervous haste,For us townsfolk had little time to waste.

The Poem of Yesteryears

And so, while the men were at work,The women would lurk.Their household duties were intensive,But looking after the kids would’ve been just as expensive.

For the women stayed home and washed by hand.A family load was a daily demand.They’d wash them clothes over the heat-bound copper,Before cooking the evening meal- the real topper.

The Poem of Yesteryears

Oh, the memories of my kids are as vivid as ever,They went to school to learn and endeavour.Basic reading, writing and arithmetic they came to know,They left at 12 to work below.

In the early 1900’s we were classed in three,The upper, the middle and working classes you see.I made the working class for under my boss I toiled.I earned little pay, for my power was foiled.

The Poem of Yesteryears

T’was the upper class who were seen as the elite,With their land, businesses and wealth they’d meet.They enjoyed the power, they had the say.The middle class merely kept us at bay.

Oh, my work, my work, my work I say,I worked in a factory for little pay.At the turn of the century the worker’s conditions were poor,Those who dared to complain were sent home sore.

The Poem of Yesteryears

In the factory I worked in we were treated little better than slaves,We toiled so hard t’was like digging our own graves.There were no toilets, nor was their space.I worked in 40 degrees Celsius with sweat on my face.

Clothing, clothing they wanted, all ready and made.From 8am to 6pm as workers we stayed.We had a one hour dinner, a one hour break,From here we’d work till 10, for we had clothes to make.

The Poem of Yesteryears

When work was finished I’d walk home sore,It was 5km to the door.With all my extra work there was no extra pay,My labour was often ignored, it was needless to say.

The New South Wales Factories and Shops Act had promised change,But in the early century it was still off range.Colonial government reforms were often ignored,For employers still left the workers floored.

The Poem of Yesteryears

Child labour was not all that rare,60 hour weeks those kids would share.Oh the work was dangerous and some were killed,But the cheap labour left the employers thrilled.

Even the building industry had it tough,Working on dangerous sites was surely enough.Little safety regulations and unstable heights,Meant that workers died on the sites.

The Poem of Yesteryears

In 1903 my wage remained poor,25 shillings seemed oh so obscure.Something needed to come, there needed to be rights for all,The government surely had to make a call.

T’was the Rural Workers who finally came through,In the early 1900’s there protests were due.A pay of a mere pound for every sheep shorn,Insisted on changes to a bleak working dawn.

The Poem of Yesteryears

Oh from the difficult living and working conditions that the working class endured,The emergence of a strong Labour Movement became assured.A move to affirming 20th century worker’s rights had begun,Yet a lot of work remained undone.

1904 proved the year of reform,The new ‘people’s’ national Labor Government had to perform.As John Watson saw the new eight-hour working movement in place,The 48 hour working week was something to embrace.

The Poem of Yesteryears

By mid 1904 the trade unions had arrived,The idea of socialism had definitely survived.By now those dirty employers had to treat us fairly, For their revenue depended on us squarely.

T’was the 1907 Harvester Case, Where minimum wages were put in place. The definition of fair and reasonable pay was made,45 shillings had to be paid.

Working conditions further improved,1909 saw the aged pension approved.The work of white men was finally waged,As payment to those citizens over 65 was staged.

1912 saw the Worker’s Compensation Act arrive.Our onsite rights would finally revive.For if it was an unintended accident or disease,Government payments would certainly please.

The Poem of Yesteryears

The Poem of Yesteryears

Having that Saturday afternoon break,Would no longer come at a stake.My working life appeared considerably brighter,Perhaps it was because my hours were lighter.

As we men were guaranteed a basic wage,Benefits for women had turned a page.For 1901-1914 saw women gradually be given the vote,T’was certainly something worthy to promote.

Nonetheless, living conditions themselves enjoyed little reform.As the bubonic plague took its form.The rat’s and flies spread disease,As unsanitary conditions killed with ease.

The open cesspits proved a source of disease,But the lack of government funding did not please.The doctors would often use unsterilised tools,For many did not favour sanitary rules.

The Poem of Yesteryears

A photograph showing ratcatchers during the Sydney plaque crisis of 1900. Rats were responsible for the rapid spread of the deadly bubonic

plague.

The Poem of Yesteryears

Oh, the government truly changed the way we worked,T’was the ‘working man’s paradise’ for we never shirked.The years of 1901-1914 bore a hard life,But never would I admit that I was in strife.

Sunday’s were always the lighter side of life, I’d spend the Sabbath relaxing with my wife.T’was a day of rest, a day to unwind,The shops were closed so we’d have a picnic in mind.

The Poem of YesteryearsThis was an era where working conditions most surely improved,But the rights of those Indigenous Australians were still disapproved.The immigration of them Asians and Pacific Islanders was blocked.And for this my job remained safe and locked.

1901-1914, they were memories of great reform.Society showed that it could certainly transform.From the economic liberalism of the laissez faire we moved,To the economic discipline of a governed society- the true memories of how we improved.

The Poem of Yesteryears

A Story of Living and Working A Story of Living and Working Conditions in the Australia of (1901-Conditions in the Australia of (1901-

1914)1914)

By Patrick Kramer

HistoricalHistorical References

[1] Anderson, Maureen, Retroactive 2 Chapter 1- Australia 1900-1914, (2005), [Online], available from Internet on June 14 from: http://pmonline.parramarist.nsw.edu.au/login/index.php

[2] (Author Unknown), Federation of Australia, (2009), [Online], available from Internet on June 14 from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_Federation

[3] (Author Unknown), Laissez Faire, (1998), [Online], available from Internet on June 14 from: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/laissez%20faire

[4] (Author Unknown), Nationalism in Australia, (2009), [Online], available from Internet on June 14 from:

http://www.skwirk.com.au/p-c_s-14_u-426_t-1078_c-4161/VIC/10/Nationalism-in-Australia/Being-Australian/Becoming-Australian/History/