page_title: Darwin rebellion
section_title: Nationalisation of hotels
hierarchical_section_title: Darwin rebellion / Background / Nationalisation of hotels
caption_attribution_description: English: Creator unknown. Black and white photo of the Victoria Hotel in Darwin taken in the 1920s.
context_page_description: The Darwin rebellion of 17 December 1918 was the culmination of unrest in the Australian Workers' Union which had existed between 1911 and early 1919. Led by Harold Nelson, up to 1000 demonstrators marched on Government House at Liberty Square in Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia where they burnt an effigy of the Administrator of the Northern Territory, John Gilruth, and demanded his resignation.
  Their grievances were against the two main Northern Territory employers, Vestey’s Meatworks and the Commonwealth of Australia, and concerned political representation, unemployment, taxation and ongoing industrial disputes following the implementation of the White Australia policy. Gilruth and his family left Darwin soon afterwards under the protection of HMAS Encounter, while the Vestey company permanently closed its Darwin operations in 1920.
  The event was described as the nearest thing to a revolution in Australia since the Eureka Stockade at Ballarat in 1854.
context_section_description: On 29 September 1915, an ordinance passed by the Federal Executive Council in Melbourne nationalised the supply of liquor in the northern part of the Territory.  The legislation was ostensibly aimed at Chinese 'sly-groggers' often accused of selling low quality liquor, but in effect was designed to curb consumption of alcohol in northern Australia and provide some revenue to the Federal budget. Known as the 'government-takeover', penalties were steep and costs of administration and auditing the hotels rose rapidly. There were also some adverse side-effects with the closure of several popular hotels and the appointment by Gilruth of a 'supervisor of hotels', at a high salary. As a result of the takeover, the price of beer and whisky rapidly increased. It was reported that the price of beer jumped by 30 per cent. Gilruth had also ordered the closure of the public bar in the popular Victoria Hotel and consequently, the hotel was losing profits.
  In 1918, several station owners and businessmen abandoned the Territory, including the manager of the State Liquor Department, because of Gilruth's policies. However, the mistake that helped finish Gilruth's career in the Territory, was trivial. As Darwinites prepared to celebrate the end of the war, the women employed in the state hotels asked for a few hours off on Saturday, 14 November to join in the celebrations. The hotel boarders agreed to dine elsewhere and everybody presumed the matter was closed. However, Gilruth subsequently refused to concede leave for the women, who took the time off anyway. When they returned to work the next day, they found themselves locked out by order of the Administrator. It was also reported that Gilruth refused permission for a ship to unload 700 cases of beer for the town's Christmas supplies.
  On Saturday afternoon, 7 December, there was a meeting at Darwin Oval, attended by several hundred people,  about ever-increasing alcohol prices and the reopening of the Victoria Hotel public bar.  On 16 December, Nelson met with the Police Inspector and asked for permission to stage a peaceful protest march from Parap to Government House. The Police Inspector gave permission on the condition there would be no violence.
caption: Darwin's Victoria Hotel in the 1920s
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