Fallon House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Fallon House |
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Fallon House in 2010
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| Location | 1 Maryborough Street, Bundaberg Central, Bundaberg, Bundaberg Region, Queensland, Australia |
| Architect | David Ballinger Goodsir, Harold James Carlyle |
| Official name: Fallon House | |
| Type | state heritage |
| Designated | 7 December 2012 |
| Reference no. | 602814 |
| Builders | Llewellyn Herbert Edwards |
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Fallon House is a special building in Bundaberg, Queensland, Australia. It used to be the office for a group called the Australian Workers Union (AWU). This union helps workers get fair pay and good working conditions. The building was designed by architects David Ballinger Goodsir and Harold James Carlyle. It was built in 1953 by Llewellyn Herbert Edwards. Fallon House is now listed on the Queensland Heritage Register because it's an important part of history.
The Story of Fallon House
Fallon House is located in Bundaberg, at the corner of Maryborough Street and Quay Street. It was built for the Central District office of the Australian Workers Union (AWU). This union was very powerful in Australia.
The building was designed by architects David B. Goodsir and Harold J. Carlyle. It was built by L. Edwards and opened in 1953. It has offices facing Maryborough Street and a large hall at the back, which can be reached from Quay Street.
The building was named after Clarrie Fallon, a very important leader of the AWU. He started as an organiser in Bundaberg in 1921. Later, he became the state secretary of the AWU in Queensland.
How Bundaberg Grew
Bundaberg started as a timber town. But soon, it became famous for growing sugar. Settlers began farming sugar cane around 1867. The town was officially mapped out in 1869.
Bundaberg also became an important port. Copper mining started nearby in 1871. This helped Bundaberg grow as a place where supplies were sent out. The sugar industry really boomed from the 1880s, making the city wealthy.
Workers Unite for Better Conditions
In the early days, workers in Queensland formed groups to improve their jobs. One famous group was the Eight hour day movement. They wanted a workday to be only eight hours long. This movement started in Brisbane in 1858.
At first, most of these groups were small and didn't have legal power. But in 1885, the Trades and Labour Council was set up in Brisbane. Then, in 1886, a law made unions legal. This meant unions could become more organised and permanent.
Workers in Queensland wanted to be even stronger. So, they formed the Australian Labour Federation (ALF) in 1889. This group combined industrial and political power. They even started their own newspaper, The Worker, in 1890. The Australian Labor Party (ALP), a political party, was also formed from this group in 1890.
The Australian Workers Union Begins
In December 1891, two big unions joined together to form the Amalgamated Workers Union in Queensland. This happened during a big sheep shearers' strike.
Later, in 1905, a new branch of the Australian Workers Union (AWU) was created in Queensland. This union had started in Victoria in 1886. It grew by joining with other smaller unions.
Another important union, the Amalgamated Workers Association (AWA), was formed by miners in 1907. This union included many different types of workers. In 1908, the Bundaberg District Workers Union joined the AWA.
The 1911 Sugar Strike
In 1910, the Amalgamated Sugar Workers Union joined the AWA. This led to a big sugar strike in 1911. Workers wanted better housing, higher wages, and an eight-hour workday. They also wanted a minimum weekly wage of 30 shillings, which included food.
The strike lasted over seven weeks in Bundaberg. It was a huge event because the town's economy depended on sugar. The strike led to a government investigation into the sugar industry. This investigation agreed that the workers' demands were fair. This was a big win for organised workers in Queensland and Australia.
Forming One Big Union
The success of the 1911 sugar strike showed how powerful workers could be when they united. This led to the idea of "One Big Union." In 1912, leaders from the AWA and the AWU met. They decided to combine their unions.
On July 1, 1913, the AWA merged with the AWU. Other unions also joined, like the Rural Workers Union. This created a huge union with 62,000 members across Australia. More than 22,000 of these members were in Queensland, making it the biggest branch of the biggest union in Australia. This big merger helped the Australian Labor Party get elected in Queensland in 1915. They stayed in power for almost 40 years.
A Place for Union Meetings
In 1919, the Bundaberg Eight Hour Day committee wanted a special place for union meetings. Before this, they met outdoors. They got permission to use a piece of land at the corner of Quay and Maryborough Streets.
The Bundaberg Trades and Labour Hall opened on this spot on May 8, 1922. It was a timber building with five rooms. The Australian Workers Union also had offices there. By 1924, the Bundaberg Trades and Labour Council bought the land and the buildings.
Clarrie Fallon's Journey
Many AWU leaders started their careers in Bundaberg, including Clarrie Fallon. He began by delivering parcels and then worked on the railways. His parents were also involved in the labour movement.
Fallon became an AWU organiser in Bundaberg in 1921. He helped sugar workers get better conditions. He also started the union's work with the cattle industry. He quickly moved up in the union. By 1933, he was the state secretary of the AWU in Queensland. He also became president of the federal ALP in 1938 and general secretary of the AWU in 1940. Fallon was a very important figure in Australian history.
The AWU's Power Grows
The AWU became very strong in Queensland. Between 1920 and 1950, four out of six Labor premiers in Queensland came from the AWU. Even during the Great Depression, the AWU remained powerful. By 1939, it had 57,856 members in Queensland.
In 1945, Clarrie Fallon wanted the AWU to buy part of the Bundaberg property from the Trades and Labour Council. They wanted to build a new AWU office. The old timber buildings were removed. In 1947, the land was officially transferred to the AWU.
Clarrie Fallon passed away in January 1950. The new AWU building in Bundaberg was named Fallon House to honour him.
Building the New Fallon House
The Bundaberg AWU office was built when the union was at its strongest. In 1950, the Queensland branch had a record 66,353 members. This was almost half of the national membership!
In May 1950, the union decided to build a new office in Bundaberg. Architects David B. Goodsir and Harold J. Carlyle were hired in February 1951. They were known for designing modern, useful buildings like hospitals and schools. Their style was called "functionalist." It focused on clean lines and simple shapes.
The building contract was given to L. Edwards in May 1952. The Bundaberg News Mail reported that the new AWU building would cost £16,000. It was the biggest non-government building project in Bundaberg at the time. The city was growing, with many new factories and shops being built.
Fallon House was finished by April 1953. It was a big moment for the union, as they now owned all their offices across the state.
What Fallon House Was Used For
Fallon House was a busy place. It had a reception area where members could pay fees and get union tickets. There were offices for union staff, including the district secretary. It also had a kitchen and a strong room for important documents.
The large hall at the back was used for union meetings. The Australian Labor Party also held meetings there. The hall had a stage and dressing rooms, and a small kitchen. This meant it could be rented out for other events.
The local council used the hall as an immunisation clinic. In the late 1960s, dances and wedding receptions were held there. More recently, a local dance school has used the hall for lessons and performances.
The property was leased until the early 1970s. Then, the land was fully owned by the AWU.
Changes Over Time
The AWU faced some challenges in later years. A big shearers' strike in 1956 caused problems between the union and the ALP. However, the union continued to help workers in many industries.
As technology changed, especially in the sugar industry, fewer cane cutters were needed. This meant fewer AWU members in that area. But the union grew in other areas, like local government and hospitals.
The AWU also got involved in environmental issues in the 1980s. They supported workers in industries like forestry and mining. In 1993, the AWU merged with another union, making it even bigger in the mining industry.
Today, the sugar industry still keeps the union busy in Bundaberg. Fallon House continues to be the Central District office for the AWU. In 2013, the union celebrated 100 years since its big merger in 1913.
What Fallon House Looks Like
Fallon House is a small brick building with offices and a hall. It's on a corner lot in the middle of Bundaberg. The main entrance is on Maryborough Street. The hall entrance is on Quay Street. The building sits on the front part of a large grassy block of land.
The building is made of light orange bricks. It has a terracotta tiled roof. It's built in a "functionalist" style, which means it has a simple, blocky shape. It has long, flat concrete awnings over the windows and not much decoration.
The front of the building on Maryborough Street has a central entrance. You walk up a few concrete steps to get to the door. A concrete awning protects the entrance. Large letters on the building spell out "FALLON HOUSE," "A.W.U.," and "AUSTRALIAN WORKERS UNION." The front doors are modern glass doors.
The hall entrance on Quay Street also has a concrete awning and steps. The office windows are made of timber and can slide up and down. Some have frosted glass. The hall windows are large steel-framed windows. The building has metal drainpipes on the outside.
There's a garage next to the main building. Behind the garage, there's a ladies' toilet and a separate gents' toilet block. These are made of the same bricks as the main building.
Inside the Building
The office area has a small entrance with a reception desk. There are three offices, a kitchen, and a strong room. The floors have vinyl tiles. The walls are smooth with timber trim. The ceilings are made of plaster sheets.
The strong room has concrete walls and ceiling, and a concrete floor. It still has its original locks and timber shelves. The offices have built-in cupboards and some original light fixtures. The kitchen has its original cupboards, sink, and green tiles.
The hall is a large room with a timber floor. It has smooth walls and a special ceiling with square panels. There's a raised stage at one end with dressing rooms on either side. One side has a small kitchen with its original sink and tiles. The doors in the hall are made of silky oak wood.
The toilet blocks have polished concrete floors and smooth walls. They have square timber-framed windows with frosted glass. The toilet stalls are made of terrazzo. The walls are lined with green ceramic tiles. The toilets, sinks, and light fittings are still the originals.
Why Fallon House is Important
Fallon House is listed on the Queensland Heritage Register for several reasons:
- It shows how Queensland's history changed: Fallon House shows how important trade unions were in Queensland in the early to mid-1900s. It was built when the AWU was very strong. The Queensland branch of the AWU was the largest branch of Australia's biggest union for 40 years. The building also shows the early efforts of unions in Bundaberg to improve workers' lives.
- It's a great example of its type: Fallon House is a good example of a building built specifically for a union office. Its layout, with offices and a hall, shows how it was used. Its modern style reflects the feeling of progress and hope in Bundaberg after World War II. Many similar buildings were built then.
- It's beautiful and well-preserved: Fallon House looks very good both inside and out. Its modern design adds to the look of Quay Street in Bundaberg.
- It's linked to important people and groups: Fallon House has a strong connection to the Australian Workers Union (AWU), which played a huge role in Queensland's union movement. It was built when the union was at its peak. The building also honours Clarrie Fallon, who started as an organiser in Bundaberg and became a very important leader of the AWU and the Australian Labor Party.
