Australian Labor Unions

Australia was first noted by the Dutch in 1606 and then much later the British claimed the Eastern half.   The European discovery of New South Wales was made by Captain James Cook during his voyage along the east coast of Australia in 1770.   The first British settlement was made by Captain Arthur Phillip.   Captain Phillip assumed the role of governor upon his arrival in 1788 until 1792.   During his time as governor, New South Wales was nothing more than a penal colony.   After Captain Phillip was William Bligh who was over-thrown and then in 1809 Lachlan Macquarie, was sent from Britain to reform the settlement.   While he was in office he began a legacy that is still evident today.   Macquarie hired a planner to design the layout of Sydney, sent explorers to discover the rest of the continent, commissioned the construction of many roads, churches and public buildings. As Britain’s reach expanded beyond New South Wales, the Australia we know today began to form.  
Today, Australia is a very prosperous, well, developed country.   In the world economy ratings, Australia is the thirteenth largest economy. When it comes to International comparisons of performance such as human development, quality of life, health care, etc; Australia is far from trailing behind.   When it comes to organized labor, once again they are, once again, at the top of the list.
Labor unions in Australia have a rather relatively long history, which would date to the nineteenth century. During the nineteenth century, however, they were still at the formative stage. They were just unknown organizations of workers facing common problems wishing to confront a common employer. By then, these organizations had loose structures and no solid membership considering the political and economic establishments were against their existence.
The most notable effort to bring together workers across the various professions was evidenced in 1927, in the formation of the Australian Council of Trade Unions, ACTU....