Topic

History

This topic focuses on Australian social movement history. There is so much to learn from the stories of past collective action for social and ecological justice. Learning social movement history can provide insights about strategy, a vast toolbox of potential tactics, and abundant inspiration.

A collage of 6 resources about disability campaigns.

The History of Campaigns in Australia by People With Disability

Histories and case studies from Australia of the fight for independence, inclusion, equality, access and services for people with disability.

A female wheelchair user with long pink hair and sunglasses at tram stop. A sign on the back of her wheelchair reads Leave no one behind. There is a tram in the background. There are other wheelchair users in the background.

People With Disability Australian Protest Timeline

A timeline of protests in Australia by people with disability for independence, inclusion, access and services from the 1970s to 2020s.

A group of protestors with large banner that reads Keep Uranium in the ground, Socialist Youth Alliance.

Leave it in the Ground: Union Bans and Uranium Exports in the 1970s

Read about the history of opposition to uranium mining in Australia in the 1970s and early 1980s regarding union bans and uranium exports.

Activism and Campaign History: Start Here

Activism and Campaign history – A range of resources about the history of First Nations, social and labour movements in Australia and beyond.

Against Fascism and War: Pig Iron Bob and the Dalfram Dispute, Port Kembla 1938

The 1938 Dalfram dispute involved workers at Port Kembla in Australia striking and refusing to load iron on a ship bound for Japan in 1938.

Two protestors have chained themselves to the railway line.

Frontline Action on Coal FLAC: Ten Years on the Climate Frontline

Frontline Action on Coal (FLAC) have used blockades and non-violent direct action to oppose new fossil fuel projects in Australia.

Australian Campaign Case Study: Divestment Campaign 2013 – 2021

Learn about the Divestment campaign case study in Australia which aimed to secure commitments from institutions to divest from fossil fuels.

Draftmen Go Free: A History of the Anti-Conscription Movement in Australia

An in-depth account of the hundreds of campaigns and actions that were carried out across Australia against the war and conscription.

Vida Goldstein, a woman wearing a hat and a black coat holding pieces of paper. The main one at the front resting on the lower half of her body reads Votes Women. Torture! In order of Home Secretary

Changing The World: The Women’s Political Association

The story of Vida Goldstein & the Women’s Political Association through their own words via a series of excerpts from speeches & publications.

ten dvd covers of movies about social movements struggles and leaders

Films and Documentaries about Social Justice, Movements, Victories and Leaders

Be inspired with this list of movies and documentaries about social movement struggles, victories and leaders – Selma, Milk, Silkwood, Norma Rae, Gandhi and more.

A 89 year old woman wearing a hat, knee length coat and dress stands in bare feet in the water of a bay holding an umbrella standing in front of a pile of dumped sand being tipped out of a truck

Fighting for the Foreshore: The Campaigns to Protect Mounts Bay and Kings Park

Read an account of Perth’s first two major conservation campaigns, the preservation of Kings Park bushland and the survival of Mounts Bay.

Strikers walking along a rocky beach next to the water holding signs. One reads Equal rights for all workers.

Defending Unionism: The Weipa Dispute, 1995

Learn how workers in Weipa forced a mining company to accommodate collective bargaining by combining strike action and a port blockade.

Brave Enough to say ‘No’: William White and the Fight against Military Conscription during the Vietnam War

Learn about the teacher’s, William White, fight against Military Conscription during the Vietnam War in Australia.

Women Fighting Back in the Depression Years

Read about the role that women played in unemployed movements during the Depression Years in Australia in this book excerpt by Janey Stone.

Campaign Case Study Template

A campaign case study template to get you started in capturing the details of your campaign to capture lessons for others and the future.

Learning from Peers and the Past: Writing Case Studies

This article provides tips and template for writing activist case studies that provide campaigners with opportunities to learn from peers and the past.