Deposit N24 - Amalgamated Metal Workers & Shipwrights Union, National Office deposit

Identity area

Reference code

AU NBAC N24

Title

Amalgamated Metal Workers & Shipwrights Union, National Office deposit

Date(s)

  • 1884 - 1980 (Creation)

Level of description

Deposit

Extent and medium

15.4 m

Context area

Name of creator

(1851 - 1973)

Biographical history

Established in 1851, the original Amalgamated Engineering Union was a branch of the British union. It was registered with the Commonwealth Conciliation and Arbitration Court in 1905 and became known as the Amalgamated Society of Engineers. In 1920 it amalgamated with ten other engineering and allied trade unions and changed its name to the Amalgamated Engineering Union, Australian Section in 1921. In 1968 the union became autonomous from its parent body in Britain, shortening its name to the Amalgamated Engineering Union to reflect this. In mid-June 1972 the AEU began a series of amalgamations with the Sheet Metal Workers, Blacksmiths & Boilermakers and Federated Jewellers to form the Amalgamated Metal Workers' Union by 1973.

Name of creator

(1916 - 1976)

Biographical history

The Union was first registered federally in January 1916 as the Federated Shipwrights of Australia. In September 1916 it changed its name to the Federated Shipwrights' Ship Constructors' & Boat Builders' Association of Australia and in 1917, the union became the Federated Shipwrights Ship Constructors Naval Architects Ships Draughtsmen and Boat Builders of Australia. In 1933 it changed its name again to the Federated Shipwrights' & Ship Constructors' Association of Australia. Operating until 1976 the Federated Shipwrights' & Ship Constructors' Association amalgamated with the Amalgamated Metal Workers' Union to form the Amalgamated Metal Workers' & Shipwrights' Union.

Name of creator

(1973 - 1976, 1985 - 1991)

Biographical history

The Amalgamated Metal Workers Union originally formed in 1973 from the amalgamation of the Amalgamated Engineering Union, the Sheet Metal Working, Agricultural Implement and Stovemaking Industrial Union of Australia, the Boilermakers' and Blacksmiths' Society of Australia, and the Federated Jewellers. In 1976 the union amalgamated with the Federated Shipwrights' & Ship Constructors' Association of Australia to become the Amalgamated Metal Workers & Shipwrights Union. In 1983 it joined the Federated Moulders (Metals) Union of Australia to become the Amalgamated Metals Foundry and Shipwrights' Union. It reverted to the name Amalgamated Metal Workers' Union in 1985 and operated until 1991 when it amalgamated with the Association of Draughting Supervisory & Technical Employees to become the Metals & Engineering Workers' Union.

Name of creator

(1965 - 1973)

Biographical history

The Boilermakers' and Blacksmiths' Society of Australia was formed in 1965 when members of the deregistered Blacksmiths' Society of Australia joined the Boilermakers' Society of Australia. In 1973 it joined the Amalgamated Engineering Union and the Sheet Metal Workers to form the Amalgamated Metal Workers' Union.

Name of creator

(c. 1912 - 1965)

Biographical history

The Blacksmiths' Society of Australasia formed around 1912 and was registered in 1916. In 1954 the union became known as the Blacksmiths' Society of Australia until it was deregistered in 1965. Members of the union joined the Boilermakers' Society of Australia which became the Boilermakers' & Blacksmiths' Society of Australia in 1965.

Name of creator

(1911 - 1972)

Biographical history

The union was originally registered as the Amalgamated Tinsmiths' Sheet Metal Workers' Cannister Makers' Gas Meter Makers' & Assistants' Union in 1911 and comprised of unions that had operated since 1881. From 1913 its name changed to the Sheet Metal Working Industrial Union of Australia. In 1945 the union changed its name to the Sheet Metal Working Agricultural Implement & Stove Making Industrial Union of Australia to reflect growing membership from members of the Federated Agricultural Implement & Stovemakers' Porcelain Enamellers' & Ironworkers' Association of Australia. It was deregistered in 1972 and joined the Amalgamated Engineering Union to form the Amalgamated Metal Workers' Union in 1973.

Name of creator

(1976 - 1983)

Biographical history

The union was formed by the amalgamation of the Amalgamated Metal Workers' Union and the Federated Shipwrights' & Ship Constructors' Association of Australia in 1976, and functioned until 1983 when it joined the Federated Moulders' (Metals) Union of Australia to become the Amalgamated Metals Foundry and Shipwrights' Union.

Content and structure area

Scope and content

Minutes, correspondence, conference files, membership records, arbitration files and war-related industrial issues, Commonwealth Secretary's correspondence files, financial records, amalgamation files, property files, Assistant Secretary's papers, reports and circulars, peace movement related material, rules books and constitutions, awards, photographs, banners, memorabilia and printed material. Includes records of predecessors Boilermakers and Blacksmiths Society of Australia, Sheet Metal Workers Union, Blacksmiths Society of Australia, Federated Shipwrights and Ship Constructors Association of Australia, Amalgamated Metal Workers and Shipwrights Union, Amalgamated Engineering Union (including Amalgamated Society of Engineers and Amalgamated Engineering Union, Australian Section).

Accruals

System of arrangement

Conditions of access and use area

Conditions governing access

Researchers must sign an access agreement

Conditions governing reproduction

Language of material

Script of material

Language and script notes

Physical characteristics and technical requirements

Finding aids

Item list

Allied materials area

Existence and location of originals

Existence and location of copies

Digitised copies of some items at http://hdl.handle.net/1885/262875

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Notes area

Alternative identifier(s)

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Description control area

Description identifier

Institution identifier

Rules and/or conventions used

Dates of creation revision deletion

Entered from deposit description on 4 December 2012; revised 5 February 2013

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Accession area