I enjoyed my Labour Day holiday. I saw lots of visitors streaming through the zoo. We Chimpanzees enjoy the extra attention on such days and having more interesting rubbish thrown into the compound – although nothing could exceed the computer that was thrown in which began my writing career.

Background

Labour Day began in Australia over a century ago. It commemorates those who struggled and succeeded to ensure decent and fair working conditions. During the mid to late 1800s the working day was long and arduous, where some employees would work up to 12 hours a day, six days a week. In the 1850’s there was a strong push for a fair working week. An agreement with employers for a 48-hour week was eventually reached in about 1850 and Australian workers in several States welcomed the new eight-hour day. The gazetted holiday date varied from State to State. For a full report, please click this link:

https://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/australia/labour-day

Henry Lawson wrote a poem celebrating the introduction of the 8-hour working day called Freedom on the Wallaby. It was known as a “Radical” work, the last verse of which is as follows:

FREEDOM ON THE WALLABY

So we must fly a rebel flag,
As others did before us,
And we must sing a rebel song
And join in rebel chorus.
We’ll make the tyrants feel the sting
O’ those that they would throttle;
They needn’t say the fault is ours,
If blood should stain the wattle.

Henry Lawson.
(Brisbane, May, 1891)  Published in The Worker Newspaper

Link: https://www.australianculture.org/freedom-on-the-wallaby-henry-lawson/

Gibber! Gibber!

Chugley

The Poetic Chimp in the style of Lawson.