Scottish immigrants who arrived from the 1890s to the 1930s helped to shape the new coal town.
Photo: Wonthaggi & District Historical Society
Photo: Wonthaggi & District Historical Society
By Linda Cuttriss
SOME of the first colonisers of Bunurong/Boonwurrung lands were Scottish. In 1835 Samuel Anderson established a wheat farm, flour mill and salt works on the Bass River. In 1842 the McHaffie brothers leased the whole of Phillip Island. In 1851 George Black set up the Tarwin Run which eventually stretched from Cape Paterson to Cape Liptrap.
These men were part of a proud tradition of Scottish immigrants as empire builders and entrepreneurs. Their descendants are often remembered for their contribution to Australia’s political and social elites.
The Scottish immigrants who arrived from the 1890s to the 1930s were from the other side of the tracks but had no less impact. Their militant unionism honed down coalmines and in shipyards and textile mills of industrial Scotland helped shape Australia’s working class labour movements and Wonthaggi played its part.
SOME of the first colonisers of Bunurong/Boonwurrung lands were Scottish. In 1835 Samuel Anderson established a wheat farm, flour mill and salt works on the Bass River. In 1842 the McHaffie brothers leased the whole of Phillip Island. In 1851 George Black set up the Tarwin Run which eventually stretched from Cape Paterson to Cape Liptrap.
These men were part of a proud tradition of Scottish immigrants as empire builders and entrepreneurs. Their descendants are often remembered for their contribution to Australia’s political and social elites.
The Scottish immigrants who arrived from the 1890s to the 1930s were from the other side of the tracks but had no less impact. Their militant unionism honed down coalmines and in shipyards and textile mills of industrial Scotland helped shape Australia’s working class labour movements and Wonthaggi played its part.
Many of the miners who joined the initial group of Rutherglen goldminers in the first weeks on the Powlett Coalfields in late 1909 came from the troubled Outtrim, Korumburra and Jumbunna coal mines.
Scottish coalminer Arthur Wilson who immigrated in 1890 was not among them, having been blacklisted for leading the 1903-04 strikes at Outtrim. He moved to Western Australia where he became a union leader then Labor MLA for over 20 years, but he left a legacy of militant unionism for which the State Coal Mine would later become known.
Scottish coalminer Arthur Wilson who immigrated in 1890 was not among them, having been blacklisted for leading the 1903-04 strikes at Outtrim. He moved to Western Australia where he became a union leader then Labor MLA for over 20 years, but he left a legacy of militant unionism for which the State Coal Mine would later become known.
The State Coal Mine was known for frequent stop-work meetings and strikes but it was the long strike of 1934 that would go down in the history books. Wonthaggi’s coalminers with the support of their wives and the wider community stayed the course for five months, sticking together through the hardships until their demands were met. Militant Scots were leaders in a struggle that would earn the town the name ‘Red Wonthaggi’.
Union banner at State Coal Mine Heritage Area Museum.
Photo: Linda Cuttriss, March 2026
Photo: Linda Cuttriss, March 2026
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Wilson’s fellow miners brought the Victorian Coal Mine Association with them to the dusty streets of Tent Town and on Christmas Eve 1909, a meeting of miners agreed to establish a union. By May 1910 a local branch was fully operational and in June the first strike was called when mine manager George Broome replaced the standard daily pay rate with a sliding scale that would mean less pay for some.
That first strike was short and largely unsuccessful but galvanised membership of the union. In 1916 Wonthaggi unionists actively backed formation of the Australasian Coal and Shale Employees’ Federation (the Federation).
From the outset, the union prioritised social amenities for mining families, quickly establishing a Co-operative Store (Co-op), Co-operative Dispensary and Workingmen’s Club, successfully lobbying for a hospital and in time building a Union Theatre.
That first strike was short and largely unsuccessful but galvanised membership of the union. In 1916 Wonthaggi unionists actively backed formation of the Australasian Coal and Shale Employees’ Federation (the Federation).
From the outset, the union prioritised social amenities for mining families, quickly establishing a Co-operative Store (Co-op), Co-operative Dispensary and Workingmen’s Club, successfully lobbying for a hospital and in time building a Union Theatre.
Poster, courtesy of the Wonthaggi & District Historical Society
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In the early to mid 1920s Britain was in the grip of industrial decline and demand for coal plummeted. Scottish coalminers were the worst hit with widespread sackings and drastically reduced wages. Many left hard times in their homeland for work at the State Coal Mine in Wonthaggi.
Agnes and Jim Chambers left Scotland in the wake of the disastrous 1921 Black Friday strike after Jim was blacklisted for his union activities. Jim was a big reader on matters of Unionism, Socialism and Marxism and was a mentor to the more militant unionists at Wonthaggi. Agnes was a born leader and organiser and a trailblazer in the 1934 strike.
Joe Foster was Jim’s brother-in-law and accompanied him to Wonthaggi. Bill Stirton and Bob (Hammie) Hamilton worked in the same mine in Fife and arrived shortly after. These and other Scottish families created close social and family bonds that would become the foundation for much of Wonthaggi’s militant union leadership.
Scottish immigrants Agnes and Wattie Doig were leaders in the 1937 ‘stay-down’ strike at Korumburra made famous by the film Strikebound and later moved to Wonthaggi where Agnes joined up with Agnes Chambers. Harry Bell was also a Scot and well-known Communist at Korumburra and Wonthaggi mines.
Agnes and Jim Chambers left Scotland in the wake of the disastrous 1921 Black Friday strike after Jim was blacklisted for his union activities. Jim was a big reader on matters of Unionism, Socialism and Marxism and was a mentor to the more militant unionists at Wonthaggi. Agnes was a born leader and organiser and a trailblazer in the 1934 strike.
Joe Foster was Jim’s brother-in-law and accompanied him to Wonthaggi. Bill Stirton and Bob (Hammie) Hamilton worked in the same mine in Fife and arrived shortly after. These and other Scottish families created close social and family bonds that would become the foundation for much of Wonthaggi’s militant union leadership.
Scottish immigrants Agnes and Wattie Doig were leaders in the 1937 ‘stay-down’ strike at Korumburra made famous by the film Strikebound and later moved to Wonthaggi where Agnes joined up with Agnes Chambers. Harry Bell was also a Scot and well-known Communist at Korumburra and Wonthaggi mines.
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In 1932 economic pressures of the Great Depression led to mass dismissals and wages were cut by a third at the State Coal Mine, fostering a rise of militant unionism. As a single industry town Wonthaggi was completely dependent on the mine. A two-month strike and rumours of hundreds more job losses had left the entire community rattled.
Display at State Coal Mine Heritage Area Museum. Photo: Linda Cuttriss, March 2026 The mine was run by the Victorian Railways and the Minister for Railways in charge at the time happened to be a Scot. This Scot, from the conservative side of politics, would go on to found the Liberal Party and become Australia’s longest serving prime minister. His name was Robert Menzies.
Menzies did little to reassure the town at a public meeting on the mine’s future at Wonthaggi in February 1933. His message was blunt. Conditions needed to be further reduced and resistance from mineworkers would only endanger the mine’s future.
Intimidation by management was unrelenting and in March 1934 when seven wheelers were summarily dismissed the miners went out on strike. The union knew that community support was critical to success of a strike and a public meeting was held at which more than 3,000 people overwhelmingly voted to support the striking miners. The strike now belonged to the whole town.
Disputes that had been simmering between moderate union leaders and militant members came to a head. Militants argued that the time for fine speeches and clever arguments was over. A new way of running a strike was needed with a Broad Committee in control of strike strategy, relief and propaganda. The argument held and a Broad Committee was quickly formed with militant Scots Joe Forster and Bill Stirton, who had helped form the local branch of the Communist party, as two of the members.
This was a first for Australian union history. The Broad Committee had sub-committees to organise all aspects of support including relief funds, entertainment and propaganda and was supported by volunteers from the union as well as the wider community.
Farmers and local businesses donated generously, the Co-op extended credit and made large donations and the Federation and other unions made contributions for a minimal strike pay for the miners. The Relief Committee established a slaughter yard and bought goods in bulk from the Co-op. A barber shop and boot repairs were free. Theatre shows, movies and dances kept up morale. The Propaganda Committee organised a national speaking tour of miners and their wives to galvanise support. Everyone pitched in. Younger boys went rabbiting to help put food on the table.
The miners’ wives and other women of the town played a crucial role by distributing food, sewing clothes and organising fundraising concerts. They soon formalised their work as the Wonthaggi Miners’ Women’s Auxiliary. With Agnes Chambers as the first president, the women gained national support through clever advocacy and public speaking campaigns. The Women’s Auxiliary, the first of its kind in Australia, became a model for other women’s groups around the country.
Menzies was determined to break the strike, but another Scot had different ideas. Bill Orr was a former Scottish coalminer, former NSW leader of the Communist-led Minority Movement and had been recently elected General Secretary of the Federation.
Bill Orr saw the potential of Wonthaggi’s successful strike methods to rejuvenate the entire union movement and made the call to prepare for a general strike. By early July under threat of a wide-ranging national strike Menzies was forced to capitulate, caving in to the union’s demands. The seven wheelers were reinstated and ‘pit committees’ for dispute resolution were recognised, a measure that hard-headed mine manager McLeish had been opposing for months leading up to the strike.
Menzies labelled the striking miners Communists and called the town Red Wonthaggi. It is true that the Communist-led Minority Movement was a leading union influence throughout the strike and in June, member Bill Stirton was elected vice-president of the union, but by the time the strike ended there were still only 300 signed up members. Most of the miners weren’t Communists but they were staunch union men ready to take militant action to defend working conditions and support their fellow workers.
The five-month long strike went down as the most successful strike in history. The innovative combination of co-operative community organisation and mobilisation of relief efforts and publicity would become a defining feature of the Australian union movement in the years ahead.
Scottish influences have been part of Wonthaggi from the start. Caledonian Crescent was on the initial layout of the ‘model town’ and in 1915 when the Caledonian Hotel opened on Graham Street there was a Caledonian Club next door.
Caledonia is the ancient name for Scotland and evokes the Scottish spirit of fierce independence, endurance and resilience. Perhaps Menzies did get it right when he called the town Red Wonthaggi. The Scottish miners' leadership, grit and vision helped mobilise a whole community. Everyone became a militant in their own way, doing what they could to fight for their families, for each other and for the future of the town.