Senator The Hon Murray Watt, Minister for the Environment and Water
The Hon Sonya Kilkenny MP, Victorian Minister for Planning
The iconic Victorian Trades Hall in Melbourne is now one step closer to being recognised on the global stage, after being nominated for World Heritage consideration.
Believed to be the oldest purpose-built Workers Assembly Hall in the world still used by trade unions, the hall has hosted campaigns that have gone on to change Australia including the 8-hour workday movement, which we all benefit from to this day.
The Workers Museum in Copenhagen examined hundreds of halls from around the world before selecting the Victorian Trades Hall as one of four exemplar candidates for nomination.
The application has been submitted to the UNESCO World Heritage Centre for consideration alongside the Broken Hill Trades Hall in Far West NSW and two halls in Europe.
These four buildings make up a transnational World Heritage nomination led by Denmark and The Workers Museum in Copenhagen, to recognise important workers' assembly halls (known as trades halls in Australia) which are representative of the international democratic labour movement.
If formally accepted, the joint nomination will be assessed by experts and considered by the World Heritage Committee, who will decide in 2027 whether the property will be inscribed on the World Heritage List.
The Albanese Government worked closely with the Victorian Trades Hall Council, Broken Hill Trades Hall Trust, as well as the New South Wales and Victorian governments, throughout the World Heritage nomination process.
Images available here.
Quotes attributable to the Minister for the Environment and Water, Murray Watt:
"The Albanese Government was very pleased to submit this application for World Heritage nomination. Just making the submission is a significant milestone, and we hope to know as early as next month if the UNESCO World Heritage Centre has accepted the nomination for assessment.
"Trades halls like this one, which is believed to be the oldest purpose-built workers' assembly hall still in use in the world, are a crucial part of the globally significant story of workers and their unions. They symbolise worker power, organising for better conditions, better wages, and a better life for everyone in democratic societies.
"All Australians should feel proud of our nation's outstanding contribution to the international labour movement and the working conditions we know today."
Quotes attributable to the Victorian Minister for Planning, Sonya Kilkenny:
"The Victorian Trades Hall is a significant symbol of our state's labour movement dating back to 1856 when the long struggle for the eight-hour work day was first achieved by the stonemasons.
"If listed, Victoria would be home to two UNESCO World Heritage recognised buildings. That's an extraordinary honour and a powerful reminder that the stories shaped here in Victoria have helped shape the world."
