'The Great Strike 1917'
About
To this day, the Great Strike of 1917 is still Australia's largest ever industrial upheaval.The story of the Strike - long dormant in archives - is now being re-told via this documentary, using original film footage from the era.
Sydney, 1917:
A seemingly innocuous management decision in a Sydney tram-depot and rail-workshop sparked a massive industrial dispute. With the introduction of a new "timecard" system to record work times and output, thousands of men and women joined protest marches through the streets.
The government recruited volunteers to break the strike, issuing some of them with guns.
Unions were de-registered and union leaders were charged with conspiracy.
It was a time of violent emotions, state violence and individual acts of violence by and against strikers. And one striker, Mervyn Flanagan, was actually shot and killed.
This powerful documentary examines the industrial, social, and political context of a struggle that has had lasting consequences for the labour movement throughout Australia.
Personal stories and legacies echoed through generations of families for years to come, empowering the fight for decent conditions and fair treatment in the workplace, which still resonates strongly today.
"Depicting a historical moment of working-class protest, Amanda King's documentary brings together analysis and copious archival material with artistic responses to the 1917 strike a century on. A welcome and important addition to our continuing national dialogue regarding workers' rights, unions, class and power. An elegant and insightful exercise in non-fiction storytelling."
- Barnaby Smith, Metro Magazine (Issue #205)
Date
Saturday 10 April 2027 2:00 PM - 5:00 PM (UTC+10)Location
Wagstaffe Community Hall
55 Wagstaffe Ave., Wagstaffe NSW 2257
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'The Great Strike 1917'
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