NO MAY DAY PARADE IN FREMANTLE

I am disappointed to hear that for the third year in a row there won’t be a May Day Parade in Fremantle. The unions have obviously decided that the uncertainty with government Covid-19 mandates and social distancing restrictions made organising the event too difficult. What a shame they were not told by the WA Labor Government that it would scrap almost all restrictions from Friday.

Roel Loopers

FREMANTLE MAY DAY PHOTOS

 

 

A great Sunday and a great turnout for today’s traditional yearly May Day event in Fremantle.

It was all about united workers’s rights, protection and solidarity and the Labor and Greens politicians turned up in numbers.

New WA Labor Premier Marl McGowan addressed the unionists, while new Freo Minister Simone McGurk and Federal Labor MP Josh Wilson watched on.

Roel Loopers

FREMANTLE MAY DAY PARADE PHOTOS

 

Hundreds of unionists marched through the centre of Fremantle at midday today to celebrate May Day.

It is always a colourful and noisy spectacle that reminds us all that it is important to support and protect the rights of workers in our nation, state and cities.

Roel Loopers/ROEL.COM.AU

FREMANTLE WORKERS CLUB GETS A TON

I am impressed to hear that the FREMANTLE WORKERS CLUB in Henry Street will be 100 years old in February next year. I copied the historic information below from their website.

The Fremantle Workers Social & Leisure Club Inc. is an iconic part of Fremantle. The Club has played a long and constructive role in the social history and community cultural development of Fremantle.

The Club was established 2 February 1914, when it bought its first premises, the former Lodge’s Hotel, at 1 Henry St. It began in response to a perceived need for meeting-place for the workers of Fremantle, many of whom were lumpers.

Lodge’s Hotel had been built in 1876, but lost its licence (to sell alcohol) in the 1890s. It then became a seminary, a school for young ladies, and then the Fremantle Club, an organisation serving the needs of Fremantle businessmen. After the Fremantle Club moved on, the building was available for the use of the FWSLC, which purchased it from the AMP Society for £2000. >

The Founder was Billy Clare, the publisher of the Fremantle Advocate: he was the first President. His name is still remembered by the Club in the name of the Billy Clare Club Cafe, and on a memorial mirror, and there’s a photo of him in the lobby. The Workers Club opened 5 June 1914 when it acquired a licence to trade (ie in alcohol).

William Moore was President 1921-1933; he was instrumental in having major improvements done to the Lodge’s building costing £3,500, commencing in July 1926 and not completed until 1932. At the re-opening he presided; Billy Clare was still there, with long-term secretary Alf Gregg—who was allegedly bashed later in 1932 in connexion with money being stolen from the Club safe. George Edinger was President in 1935 (and had been since 1933), having previously served as Vice-President with William Moore.

In 1923 the Secretary, William Roche, stole amounts of money from the Club over a period of seven months. He may perhaps have been attempting to leave the State when he was apprehended at Southern Cross. At his trial President William Moore told the court that the money had been repaid and the Club had unanimously decided not to continue to press charges. They were consequently withdrawn, though the prosecuting police officer was not very pleased about it.

The current premises at 7-9 Henry St were built in 1956 and the Lodge’s Hotel building was removed to provide a carpark for Club members. The site was sold to Notre Dame University in the early 2000s; it remains a carpark.

BUCKLEY LIBERAL CANDIDATE FOR FREMANTLE

Matthew Buckley, better known as Matthew Hanssen, is the Liberal candidate for the seat of Fremantle at the March 2013 Western Australian state election. Mr Hanssen seems to live in the same dream world as Gina Rinehart as he is convinced he is going to win the seat, while in fact he has Buckley’s chance of doing so. He will be competing against Labor’s Simone McGurk, Greens Andrew Sullivan and possibly Independent Adele Carles.

Matthew Hanssen laments in the Fremantle Herald that “there has been a lot of anti-growth, anti-development and anti-getting people into the town.”

I have been lived Freo for 19 years now but know no one who is against development, growth or more people living here, so no idea where Mr Buckley, sorry, Hanssen, got that idea from. But some pollies don’t care much about the truth or reality, so a bit of anti-development bashing always sounds good and progressive.

It will be interesting to see if Adele Carles will now try to retain her seat as she has previously stated she would not fight the election if the Liberals put a candidate up.

Roel Loopers