Summary

Alternative Name(s): Button

Numbered membership badge of the Barrier Industrial Council, the trades and labour council for the mining town of Broken Hill, New South Wales, for the night shift, February 1988.. The Barrier Council was formed in Broken Hill in 1923, with a number of unions affiliated covering both mining and town workers. ' Each quarter of the year, on the second Tuesday of the middle month, all unionists have to wear a specially struck badge to prove financial membership of a union. Different badges are issued for each shift in the mines and for town workers. Anyone not wearing a badge is not allowed to work, and has to pay a fine to the Barrier Industrial Council equal to a day's pay.' - Smith p. 86.
The badge depicts the Broken HIll Trades Hall, which was opened in 1898.

Andrew collected these badges over a fifteen year period during which time he undertook much research in the field of Trade Union material culture and had extensive contact with the Trade Union Movement Australia-wide.

Physical Description

Round tin plate badge with plastic face and horizontal pin and catch on the reverse. Reverse is metallic grey. Face has an orange border with white text and the base of the border is a white box with orange text. In the centre is the black and white image of a building and black number printed above it.

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