Newsletter 3 March

Important Dates

Monday, 8 March
Labour Day Public Holiday. Hester Canterbury will not be staffed on this date, so if you have ordered a meal on this day please remember to collect if from our kitchen fridge after 4:00pm on this day.
Wednesday, 10 March
Servicing of the Fermax intercom security door service will be carried out. If you have noticed any irregularity in your apartment intercom, (such as your doorbell not working, no screen vision etc.) please notify Alexia in writing before the above date.
Monday, 15 March
The new Autumn menu commences on this date. The new menus will be distributed this week . Bon Appetit.

Housekeeping Notices

The DVD “The Untouchables” has been returned to the library without the DVD in it. Could you please check your player and any other DVD cases in case the missing DVD is there by mistake.
After consultation with the Residents’ Committee it has been decided that further plastic ringing of the courtyard trees will not deter the possums from visiting us, as they can access the courtyard via another building ; and if the possums are caught and caged the contractor must by law release them back into the same area. (The Wildlife Act of 1975 states trapped possums must be released on the property no more than 50 metres away from the capture site after sunset on the day of capture).
The plastic ringing that has been installed on some of the trees in the courtyard (these trees the possums can only access by climbing up the trunks) has proved effective and re-growth can be seen again on them.
Please remember to bag all rubbish before disposing of it down the rubbish chutes. Recyclable rubbish need not be bagged. Thank you for your cooperation.

The Origins and Traditions of Labour Day…

In the 19th century most labourers used to work for 10 -12 hours a day, 6 days a week which severely affected their health and safety. However the labourers started to build a movement for reduced working hours and better working conditions in the 1850’s. As a result there was a well planned protest on April 21 1856 in Sydney.

Stonemasons were the frontrunners of this protest in which they walked to the Parliament. The Government was not anticipating such a huge protest and finally had to bend. An agreement was made with the employers to have an eight hour working day with no deduction in their wages. However the working class suffered immensely during the whole movement, and many were sacked by their employers because of their active participation in the movement.

35 years after the first protest a march was organized for May 1 1891. The leaders of the movement carried Eureka flags and wore blue sashes and the tradition of a May Day march continues today. It was only after World War 2 that the Labour Day date was moved to March.

During the Australian labour movement, the demand was for eight hours of work. The leaders of the movement also advocated for eight hours recreation and eight hours rest. This is the reason so many of the union buildings in Australia often have 888 on the exterior. In 1903 the “8 Hour Day Monument” was unveiled in Melbourne, and the working men of Ballarat erected this monument in honour of Thomas Galloway, the founder of the 8 hours system in Victoria. Initially the required 3000 pounds was not raised and so for some time only the memorial pedestal was erected…..

Week Two of the Summer Menu starts on Monday 8 March.
Please place any orders by lunchtime the Thursday before.
Bon Appetit!

Download 3 March Newsletter here:
Hester Newsletter 3 March