Safety net used by waterfront workers
Date1960s
Object number00006255
NameSafety net
MediumRope
DimensionsOverall: 420 x 1500 x 820 mm, 31 kg
ClassificationsTools and equipment
Credit LineANMM Collection Gift from Patrick Operations Pty Ltd
DescriptionA huge safety net was strung from the deck of a ship to the wharf below in case a worker fell. It also saved cargoes from bumping against the side of the ship.This net was typical of many used by stevedores around Australia.HistoryWaterfront workers hold a strategic place in the economy because the movement of exports and imports depended on their work. During the 1930s waterfront workers or wharfies received poor pay and irregular work. They were divided between two rival unions: the Waterside Workers Federation (WWF) and the Permanent and Casuals. Jim Healy, the secretary of the WWF absorbed the Permanent and Casuals after a campaign that crossed traditional enmities. The move gave the WWF a new strength and led to big gains in pay and conditions for wharfies. In 1993 the WWF joined the Seaman's Union to form the Maritime Union of Australia (MUA).
The introduction of the container was revolutionary in making possible the totally mechanised handling seen today. This new technology however reduced wharfie numbers from 20,000 in the 1960s to less than 10,000 in 1993.SignificanceThis net represents the typical stevedoring gear used on all ports up until the full-scale introduction of mechanised technology in the 1960s.
