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Labour Day, also known as May Day and Eight Hour Day, is a Public Holiday in Australia, although on different dates in the different Australian States and Territories.

 

State	2011	2012
ACT	Monday, October 3, 2011	Monday, October 1, 2012
NSW	Monday, October 3, 2011	Monday, October 1, 2012
NT	Monday, May 2, 2011	Monday, May 7, 2012
Qld	Monday, May 2, 2011	Monday, May 7, 2012
SA	Monday, October 3, 2011	Monday, October 1, 2012
Tas	Monday, March 14, 2011	Monday, March 12, 2012
Vic	Monday, March 14, 2011	Monday, March 12, 2012
WA	Monday, March 7, 2011	Monday, March 5, 2012

The first Labour Day holiday was to commemorate the granting of the eight hour working day for Australians, ensuring that normal working hours were 48 hours per week (6 days of 8 hours each).

Labour Day is held as follows:

• Australian Capital Territory: first Monday in October.
• New South Wales: first Monday in October.
• Northern Territory: first Monday in May.
• Queensland: first Monday in May.
• South Australia: first Monday in October.
• Tasmania: second Monday in March.
• Victoria: second Monday in March.
• Western Australia: first Monday in March.

The first officially observed day was in Victoria on the 21st April 1879, with a Paid Public Holiday for that State, celebrating “Eight Hour Day”.  This was changed to Labour Day in 1934.

After World War II, the date for the holiday to celebrate Labour Day date was moved from May to the second Monday in March in Tasmania and Victoria, with Western Australia observing  the first Monday in March.

Labour Day Holidays after WWII

11th Mar 1946 Eight Hours Day Tas
11th Mar 1946 Labour Day Vic
6th May 1946 May Day NT
6th May 1946 Labour Day Qld
7th Oct 1946 Labour Day ACT
7th Oct 1946 Labour Day NSW
7th Oct 1946 Labour Day SA
1st Mar 1948 Labour Day WA

When were the Labour Day Holidays before 1934 ?

The Sydney Morning Herald on Thursday 2 November 1933 had an article titled “TAREE LABOUR DAY SPORTS.” in which the events of that Labour Day, in NSW, were discussed. source

An article in the Melbourne Argus, was titled: ‘Eight Hours Day: procession through city’ and appeared on 19th March 1929

The Eight Hour Day

On April 21, 1856, stonemasons at the University of Melbourne marched to the Victorian Parliament House to push for a change in working hours. This resulted in the employers agreeing to an 8 hour day (48 hour week).

New South Wales also recognised these new work regulations in 1856, with Queensland following in 1858, South Australia in 1873 and Tasmania in 1874.

In 1879 the Victorian Government went a step further step  by proclaiming a paid public holiday from that year.

Links:

• http://www.8hourday.org.au
• http://www.slv.vic.gov.au/ergo/winning_the_8_hour_day
• http://museumvictoria.com.au/discoverycentre/infosheets/trade-union-banners
• http://www.anu.edu.au/polsci/mi/2/mi2cassells.pdf PDF Document

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