James Gilvray Galloway

James Gilvray Galloway (28 February 1828 – 3 June 1860) was a Scots-born stonemason and trade unionist who was a leading figure in the successful and influential eight hour day movement in Melbourne, Australia.

Biography

He was born in Springfield, Fife, Scotland. He worked as a stonemason in London, and became a supporter of the Chartists before emigrating to Melbourne in 1854.^[1] There, he joined with James Stephens to revive the local branch of the Operative Masons' Association, an early trade union. On 21 April 1856, they led a march from their construction site at the University of Melbourne to Parliament House, demanding the introduction of an eight-hour working day, for the same pay as previously for ten hours.^[2][3] Their employers in Victoria accepted their demands, and the eight hour day became widely accepted in Australia and started to spread around the world.^[4]

While initially both Stephens and Galloway were acknowledged as the instigators of the movement, Stephens fell into disfavour among his union colleagues for advocating subcontracting.^[5] Galloway became ill and destitute, and died in Collingwood, Victoria, in 1860, aged 32.^[6] He was buried at Melbourne General Cemetery.^[7] In 1869 the unions raised funds to provide a monument at Galloway's grave, at which it was said that Galloway had initiated the eight hours movement.^[4] Stephens sought to restore his own reputation, and later the roles of Galloway and Stephens were both acknowledged by historians.^[5]

References