Dictionary of Sydney

The Dictionary of Sydney was archived in 2021.

Eveleigh railway workshops

Industrial complex which contains some of the earliest engineering technologies in Australia. Built to service and build steam locomotives, it became a munitions factory during both world wars and now houses arts, theatre and conference facilities, restaurants, markets and technology industries.

-33.894751013432, 151.19205951603

Milestone
Opened
1882
Closed
1988
Name
Alternate
Eveleigh Rail Yards
Property
Occupied by
1991 -
Occupied by
2007 -
Occupied by
2007 -
Type

Great Strike of 1917

CC BY-SA 2.0
,
2018

The Great Strike of 1917 is regarded as one of Australia’s largest industrial conflicts. The strike erupted on the NSW railways and tramways in August 1917 in response to the introduction of a new way of monitoring worker productivity. Thousands of working people across a range of industries were mobilised as the strike spread throughout NSW and Australia. In Sydney, there were extraordinary street marches and demonstrations led by the strikers and their supporters. On the other side of the political and class divide, strikebreakers were recruited to keep transport and industry running. While the strike lasted for only six weeks, its consequences – political, social and cultural – lingered for decades, shaping the political consciousness of generations.