Broken Hill Women's Memorial facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Broken Hill Women's Memorial |
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| Year | 2001 |
| Type | Black granite |
| Location | Broken Hill, New South Wales, Australia |
| 31°57′30″S 141°27′57″E / 31.95834°S 141.46590°E | |
The Broken Hill Women's Memorial is a special monument in Broken Hill, New South Wales, Australia. It celebrates the important contributions of women to the Broken Hill community. This memorial especially honors the women who supported the town's miners. They helped during long and difficult strikes and disagreements at the mines.
Contents
The Women's Brigade
Some of these women formed a group called the Women's Brigade (Broken Hill). They played a big part in supporting the miners. Their work included:
- Standing outside the mine to protest.
- Organizing marches and rallies to show support.
- Trying to stop non-union workers from entering the mine during strikes. These non-union workers were sometimes called "scabs."
How the Memorial Was Funded
The idea for the memorial came from money left over after a mining dispute in 1986. Women in Broken Hill had raised funds to help the miners during this time. They also provided encouragement and support. This was similar to how women helped during earlier strikes in 1892 and 1919.
When the 1986 dispute ended, $1,000 was still left in the women's fund. They decided to use this money to build a memorial. The rest of the money needed was given by the miners' union.
What the Memorial Looks Like
The memorial is made from two large pieces of black granite. It was built by a company called Zanon Memorials. The monument shows an image of a family. It also has two pieces of text carved into it.
Unveiling the Memorial
The Broken Hill Women's Memorial was officially revealed on March 30, 2001. Martin Ferguson, a politician, led the ceremony. He was the Shadow Minister for Regional Development at the time.
Eddie Butcher, who was the president of the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union, was also there. He spoke about the women at the ceremony. He said that women were "unsung heroes" who stood by their men. He added that women are the "backbone" of Broken Hill's society. He believed they truly deserved this recognition.
