Summary

Badge commemorating the Eight Hour Day Committee in Melbourne. It was made by Wittenbach & Co. It was donated by Mr R. Gordon whose father was a member of the Victorian Typographical Society and worked as a taxi driver for the Melbourne City Council. This badge was collected as part of the Working People's History Project at the Melbourne Trades Hall in 1987.

Action taken by stonemasons on 21 April 1856 led to the establishment of the Eight Hour Day, with the government agreeing that workers employed on public works should enjoy an eight hour day with no loss of pay. It was a world first and became emblematic of the rights of labour. In recognition of the significance of this achievement, April 21 was made a public holiday in 1879 and commemorative marches were held each year from 1879 until 1951. The Eight Hour Day holiday was renamed Labour Day in 1934. In 1955 the Labour Day march and celebrations were replaced by Moomba celebrations.

Physical Description

Cloud-shaped metal badge. It features three light blue, interlocked eights ("888") in the middle and three white banners at the bottom of the numbers. The banners contain the words "LABOR", "RECREATION" and "REST". A dark blue border surrounds the numbers and banners with the following words: "MELBOURNE EIGHT HOURS COMMITTEE 1914". A decorative insignia sits at the top of the badge which is attached to a pin. The name of the Assistant Secretary and badge maker are engraved on the back.

More Information