[1] The history of trade unionism in Broken Hill goes back to the early days of mining on the Line of Lode.

In September 1884 a public meeting was held at the Adelaide Club Hotel at Silverton to form the Barrier Miners' Association.

By 1889 the Association, whose programme of reforms included an eight-hour day and compensation for injured workers, had achieved agreement for compulsory union membership.

Union leaders Herman Heberle, E. J. Polkinghorne, Robert A. Hewitt, Dick Sleath, W. J. Ferguson and John Bennetts were arrested and gaoled for periods of up to two years.

[4][1] Plans for a Trades Hall had begun in 1890, when Henry Parkes set aside the current site, but after the failure of the 1892 strike, construction did not begin until 1898.

Under the auspices of the Burke Ward Parliamentary Labour League Mann addressed a large crowd from the rotunda of the Hillside Reserve, expounding Marxist ideology and the goals of socialism.

Following an agreement on conditions BHP closed its mins and announced that it would re-open 'after the Christmas period with rates reduced by 12.5 percent.

[10][1] Following World War I the unions, who had recovered from the 1909 strike and consolidated their position, campaigned for a reduction in hours and improved safety.

[1] Items in the collection are generally in sound condition although some require conservation interventions and the implementation of more appropriate storage arrangements (13/6/2008).

[1] This Wikipedia article was originally based on Trades Hall, entry number 00181 in the New South Wales State Heritage Register published by the State of New South Wales (Department of Planning and Environment) 2018 under CC-BY 4.0 licence, accessed on 1 June 2018.