Date: Thursday 23 July
Time: 12:00pm – 12:50pm
Location: Fringe Room 1
Format: Panel Discussion
Organisation: Australian Research Council Project Conviction Politics led by Monash University and Roar Film
Until now the story of how transported convicts and labour activists transported to Australia as political prisoners fought for their rights hasn’t been told. Despite the harshest of punishments, unfree workers’ collective resistance ended transportation and laid the foundations for the Australian union movement, the eight-hour day and working people’s political rights that was an inspiration to the labour movement worldwide.
The heroic story of this victory against the odds by ordinary convicts and exiled protestors, reformers and rebels is the subject of the first Fringe event at the 2026 ALP National Conference entitled UNSHACKLED. You will hear from the creators of the union-backed travelling UNSHACKLED exhibition, that brings our movement’s story of the struggle for workers’ rights and democratic political reform to life through ground-breaking research, rare objects, interactive displays, digital storytelling, animations, music and augmented reality.
Panellists:
- Emma Dawson, Chifley Research Centre
- Tony Moore, Monash University
- Steve Thomas, Roar Film
- Alison Pennington, McKell Institute
