Unemployed Workers' Union soup kitchen outside the Arts Centre, 12 December 1978.

Description

Series[UMA-SR-000001764] Negatives for photographs by John EllisAccession[1999.0081] Photographic negatives and proof sheets taken by John EllisIdentifierUMA-ITE-1999008100410Extentnot specifiedScope and ContentUnemployed Workers' Union soup kitchen outside the Arts Centre, 12 December 1978. Ellis stated "This demonstration was held to protest the hypocrisy of the Victorian Government (Thompson or Hamer) in concluding a three-day conference on the plight of the poor by hosting a banquet at the Art Gallery for conference delegates. The conference, titled "Work for Tomorrow", was attended by ALP, trade union, church groups and other aid organisations. The Unemployed Workers' Union was outraged by this display of opulence and abundance so they decided to set up a soup kitchen outside the Gallery entrance in an effort to shame those attending the banquet (fat chance). Our theme was "Work for Today". Needless to say, there was a huge police presence outside the front entrance to provide a clear passage for the diners (we had other names for them) as they entered. I was particularly enraged by the indifference of the delegates and was determined that we shouldn't let them get away with it. I decided that we had to do something so I went looking for other entry points to the Gallery and found one in Nolan Street. There were no police present on the gate so I went up some stairs and found myself in the kitchen where the banquet was being prepared. Having got the lay of the land I nonchalantly left the kitchen and had to restrain myself from running back to the others with the good news of my discovery. My plan was for a few of us to get to the banquet hall and pull the tablecloths and everything else off the tables. Without alerting the police I spoke to about ten people and told them of the plan (Harry Van Moorst and Di Crunden were among them). We left the main demonstration in two's and met at the entrance in Nolan Street; once assembled we went like hell up the stairs and entered the kitchen. As we were leaving the kitchen along a hallway to the banquet room we were "sprung" by the manager who raised the alarm. What followed would make a good movie scene. We might still have made the room had it not been for the fact that one of the bouncers picked up one of the young women and threw her at a refrigerator. We were more intent then on getting him and by that time the coppers had arrived. Seven of us were taken to South Melbourne police station and charged with "being on the premises without a lawful excuse". The court case came up in March 1979 (the news cutting on p10 makes no reference as to why we were charged). The four of us who appeared in the witness box and argued that there were no police guarding the entrance, had our charges dismissed. The other three, who refused to go into the box because their priors would have been read out and may have received a heavier fine, were fined $150 each. The fines were never collected."Access StatusOpen for public accessRequest TypeRequest itemCopyright StatusUniversity copyrightConditions of Use and ReproductionCopyright owned by University of Melbourne Archives. For information about ordering a copy of this image contact the University of Melbourne Archives: archives@archives.unimelb.edu.auMenuBrowse digitised items | Available online

Provenance

CreatorEllis, John B.RolePhotographer

Dates

Date12/12/1978

Description Control

Previous System ID1999.0081.00410UMAIC IDUMA/I/723Other IDsJE174-05

Characteristics

Genre/FormPhotographic printsFilm negatives

Subjects

SubjectArts Centre, MelbourneDemonstrations--Victoria--Melbourne--PhotographsUnemployed Workers\' Union

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Unemployed Workers' Union soup kitchen outside the Arts Centre, 12 December 1978.

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