Labor’s titan: the story of Percy Brookfield, 1878-1921, Gilbert Giles Roper
Source: Warrnambool Institute Press, 1983, edited by Allan and Wendy Scarfe. Copyright Allan and Wendy Scarfe. This digital edition for Marxists
Internet Archive is published with the permission of the copyright holders. It may be used for private study but not for any commercial purpose.
Transcription, mark-up: Steve Painter
| 1878 | Percy Brookfield born in Liverpool, England |
| 1891 | Great maritime and shearers strikes in Australia. Labor Party formed shortly thereafter. Brookfield goes to sea |
| 1895 | Brookfield fossicking in Victoria |
| 1901 | First Australian parliament meets in Melbourne |
| 1903 | High Court created. Tin lode discovered by Brookfield near Mount Kosciusko. |
| 1904 | J.C. Watson forms first federal Labor government. Conciliation and Arbitration Act introduced |
| 1905 | Industrial Workers of the World Preamble published |
| 1907 | New South Wales introduces the invalid pension — the first such pension in the world. The Harvester Case: a “fair and reasonable” Basic Wage introduced. Brookfield prospecting in North Queensland |
| 1908 | First Fisher Labor government. Commonwealth invalid and old age pensions introduced, replacing state schemes. Industrial Workers of the World established |
| 1909 | Compulsory military service introduced. Broken Hill Proprietory Co locks unionists out of its Broken Hill mine. Sydney police break up unionist procession, leaders jailed for “rioting”. Brookfield mining at Broken Hill. |
| 1910 | Labor Party in office in New South Wales and commonwealth. |
| 1912 | Fisher government passes important welfare legislation, including the setting up of workers’ compensation and maternity allowances. IWW constitution published in Sydney |
| 1913 | Fisher government establishes the Commonwealth Bank. William Holman becomes (Labor) premier of New South Wales |
| 1914 | First World War begins. Labor re-elected after a double dissolution. Passes the War Precautions Act, Crimes Act, Trading with the Enemy Act |
| 1915 | William Morris Hughes replaces Fisher as prime minister. Brookfield prospecting at Mount Brown |
| 1916 | Brookfield elected chairman of strike committee for a 44-hour week in the Barrier Mines. Chairs opening of anti-conscriptionist campaign in Broken Hill. Elected president of Labour’s Volunteer Army to oppose conscription. Jailed for violations of the War Precautions Act. The IWW twelve jailed. Hughes introduces first conscription referendum, and is expelled from the Labor Party by the New South Wales executive after the defeat of the referendum. The Labor Party splits, both federally and in New South Wales. Holman becomes premier of a Nationalist Party government. |
| 1917 | Hughes heads a Nationalist Party government. Brookfield elected to New South Wales Parliament in by-election. Re-elected in general election. New South Wales Railwaymen’s strike against a time-card system. Others join in solidarity. Second Conscription Referendum defeated. |
| 1918 | World War I ends |
| 1920 | Brookfield expelled from Australian Labor Party. Re-elected as candidate for the Industrial Labor Party. Ewing Commission leads to the release of ten of the IWW twelve |
| 1921 | Brookfield founds the Independent Labor Party. Storey heads a Labor government in New South Wales. Brookfield shot at Riverton railway station, dies later in Adelaide. Labor Party adopts the Socialisation Objective |