James Gilvray Galloway

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]

Galloway's grave at Melbourne General Cemetery

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]