Summary
Metal pin depicting a black Aboriginal male figure in the centre, holding his left arm above his head, as if to throw a boomerang. This iconography is the current logo of Blacktown Workers Club and can still be seen at the entrance of the club.
The City of Blacktown is today a suburb of Western Sydney. Before European settlement, Blacktown was inhabited by the Darug people. Soon after settlement up to 90% of the Aboriginal people in the Sydney area died of smallpox. In 1814 a farming school for surviving Aborigines was set up in Parramatta. After local residents complained, it was moved further west, to the corner of Richmond Road and Rooty Hill Road North, an area that became known as "Black's Town". Today Black's Town is officially called the City of Blacktown. Blacktown today is a multicultural city, with 40% of its population born overseas.
The Blacktown Workers Club is one of the oldest workers clubs in Australia. It began as an organisation to serve the community's working class and the club's logo (the image shown on the pin) reflects the area's history. Today the club is a large recreational venue for the wider Blacktown community, located, since 1960, at 55 Campbell Street, Blacktown, NSW.
Physical Description
Metal pin with white shield background and a black Aboriginal male figure in the centre holding his left arm above his head as if to throw a boomerang. He holds a spear in his right hand.
More Information
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Collecting Areas
Migration & Cultural Diversity, Home & Community, Leisure, Working Life & Trades
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Acquisition Information
Purchase
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Place & Date Issued
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, circa 2000 - 2010
Issued by the Blacktown Workers Club -
Inscriptions
BLACKTOWN WORKERS CLUB
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Classification
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Category
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Discipline
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Type of item
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Overall Dimensions
20 mm (Width), 43 mm (Height)
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References
Unknown Author "Aborigines" in Blacktown City Council Website [Link 1] Accessed 25 October 2010. Unknown Author "Best Clubs of Australia" [Link 2] Accessed 25 October 2010. Unknown Author "Workers History" [Link 3] Accessed 25 October 2010.
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Keywords
Aboriginal Depictions, Pins, Social Clubs, Social Life, Working Life, Trade Unions, Leisure