Perth Voice Interactive

THE 1925 seamen’s strike was one of the most significant labour disputes in the maritime industry of the early 20th century. 

It began in August 1925 when British shipowners proposed a reduction of seamen’s wages by £1 per month, arguing that post-war economic conditions required cost-cutting measures. 

The move was met with fierce resistance by maritime unions, who viewed the wage cut as an attack on workers’ livelihoods, particularly in an era when the cost of living was still high.

The strike was not confined to Britain; it quickly spread to ports around the world, including those in Australia. This international solidarity among seafarers was emblematic of the labour movements of the time, which were increasingly organised and interconnected due to the shared struggles of industrial workers across the British Empire.

The SS Beltana, a British migrant ship, became one of the vessels directly affected by the strike. 

Built in the early 20th century, the ship was part of a fleet designed to transport migrants from Britain to Australia as part of programs encouraging settlement in the colonies. 

Its 1925 voyage, however, coincided with the height of the strike, leading to significant delays during its journey.

When the Beltana arrived in Fremantle, it was delayed for eight days due to a coal strike. 

The coal strike, itself a ripple effect of the seamen’s refusal to work under reduced wages, meant that fuel supplies for ships were disrupted, leaving vessels like the Beltana stranded in port. 

For the passengers aboard—many of whom were families seeking new opportunities in Australia—the delay added stress and uncertainty to an already arduous journey.

As WA’s primary port city, Freo was a hub of maritime activity and a focal point for labor disputes. 

By 1925, the city had a long history of union activity, with wharfies, seamen, and other port labourers playing key roles in advocating for workers’ rights.

The seamen’s strike in Fremantle was part of a broader wave of labour unrest that affected multiple industries in the region, from mining to transportation.

The strike’s impact on Fremantle’s economy was significant. 

Delays in shipping disrupted trade, leading to shortages of goods and economic strain on local businesses dependent on maritime commerce. 

At the same time, the strike strengthened solidarity among workers, as unions in other industries often lent their support to the seamen’s cause, either through financial contributions or by joining picket lines.

The delays caused by the strike were not just an inconvenience; they underscored the vulnerability of the shipping industry to organised labour actions. 

Ships like the Beltana, which served as lifelines for migration and trade, were effectively immobilised, showcasing the power of collective action in disrupting even the most critical supply chains.

For the Fremantle community, the strike also brought attention to the harsh conditions faced by seamen and port workers. 

Many in the local population sympathised with the strikers, recognising their demands for fair wages and better working conditions as part of a broader struggle for social justice. 

This era also saw the rise of socialist and labour-oriented political movements in Australia, which gained momentum from events like the seamen’s strike.

While the seamen’s strike eventually ended with a compromise, its effects were long-lasting. 

The delays experienced by ships like the Beltana underscored the necessity for fair labour practices in the shipping industry. For Fremantle, the strike reinforced its reputation as a centre for labour activism and solidarity.

Just one year later New South Wales introduced compulsory insurance under its Workers Compensation Act, which became the model for state and territory governments around the nation, while the 40-hour week became the norm soon after.

The SS Beltana itself would continue to serve as a migrant ship until its eventual retirement, but its 1925 voyage remains a poignant example of how global labour disputes could affect individual lives and local economies. 

ENVIRONMENTAL protestors have turned their sights towards convincing the Cook government to reinstate a wetland in plans for the Perth Cultural Centre redevelopment.

Contractors started draining and removing the existing wetlands on Monday this week, which the local government, sport and cultural industries department says has an un-repairable leak (“Last push to save cultural centre wetlands,” Voice, December 21, 2024) and a $50 million revamp of the precinct is an opportunity to remove it.

That prompted around 60 protestors to hold a candlelight vigil last Sunday, still hopeful of saving it, but now that’s no longer possible they want the department to revisit a 2022 masterplan showing a replacement wetland linking the centre and Beaufort Street.

Supporters say the wetland is a “beacon of hope” in a “concrete landscape”, an important home to birds, frogs, fish, reptiles and other wildlife, a heritage link for Noongar people and a much-loved outdoor playground and classroom to connect children with nature.

“This tiny wetland ecosystem has been a beacon of hope in a city swallowed up by more concrete and bitumen each day and gives an insight into what Perth once looked like,” environmental campaigner Paddy Cullen said.

“Perth has lost more than 80 per cent of its wetlands and we need to turn this around.

“The government should return to the original plan to incorporate a wetland and bring some joy and life back into the area.”

Fellow wetlander Linda Rawlings would like to see something similar incorporated into a children’s playground shown in the current designs.

“Children need more green time and less screen time,” Ms Rawlings said.

“Money could be diverted from the proposed electronic billboard to create a wetland – a living legacy for the kids.

“This wetland has been a community effort, with hundreds of children helping to create it. 

“We would love to see the wetland survive and thrive for future generations.”

LOCAL Tafes have benefited from what the Cook government says is the largest capital works program in the system’s history.

The East Perth Tafe was the biggest winner, scoring $1.28 million for 20 global navigation satellite systems and 20 robotic stations used by students to collect spacial data.

It also received $474,000 for a reverse osmosis unit and other equipment used in water treatment processes, and nearly $300,000 for industrial robotic arms that can select, sort, reorient and place items in a production line.

Dental students at Leederville Tafe will be smiling over their $119,000, which helped buy a milling unit, scanner and printer that can help them learn how to give others a perfect smile.

Mt Lawley’s campus picked up a $268,500 automated operating theatre used to teach anaesthetic technology students in a simulated working environment so they’re ready when they hit the hospital.

And Perth Tafe got a $117,000 multicolour LED television studio lighting system to teach camera and film lighting as part of video content creation.

The equipment and associated software was part of a $25 million modernisation program.

Training and workforce development minister Simone McGurk said the cutting-edge technology would help prepare today’s students for the jobs of the future.

“Our investment in modern equipment ensures students at TAFE campuses across the state are trained using equipment and technologies that reflect what is being used in industry,” Ms McGurk said.

“Our investment is having an increasingly crucial role as our state prepares for future workforce needs.

“Increasing the number of apprentices, particularly in trades such as electricians, engineers, motor mechanics, metal fitters and machinists will be vital to ensure we have the skills needed for WA to reach its target of net zero by 2050.

“With affordable training courses and hundreds of millions of dollars in new facilities, equipment and technologies, there has never been a better time to take up opportunities to train at WA Tafes.”

FORMER US Navy submarine nuclear reactor operator and columnist Jon C Gabriel has published his first novel Sink the Rising Sun, inspired by American submarines secretly stationed in Fremantle and Albany during WWII.

Combining his unique naval experience with deep research, it is a rare and humourous historical novel about a US submarine officer at the beginning of the war.

“There are many American books and films about the war in Europe, but precious few about the epic battles in the Pacific,” Gabriel said. 

“The few that do focus on the Pacific theatre rarely mention Australia’s leading role. Through historical fiction, I hope to correct this American blind spot.”

In Sink the Rising Sun, Lt Benjamin Holt is stationed far from home in WA, finding himself on the frontlines with nothing but a decades-old sub and a rusty crew. 

The untested 25 year old is ordered to stop imperial Japan’s bloody expansion across the Pacific any way he can. 

Between each nerve-wracking war patrol, he’s further challenged by Navy politics, faulty equipment, and his lost love back home, all while adjusting to his new life Down Under.

“When Japan shattered the American fleet at Pearl Harbor, it fell to a few aircraft carriers and the tiny Submarine Force to fight back. 

“Subs made up less than 2 per cent of the US Navy but sank nearly 60 per cent of all Japanese shipping,” Gabriel said.

“For this, they paid a heavy price. One in five submariners gave their lives, the highest casualty rate of all American forces in the Second World War.

“Think Master and Commander, but underwater and a century later,” Gabriel adds.

The book, his first, is now available at amazon.com.au, in Kindle and paperback formats.

For more information, visit joncgabriel.com.