135 years of Union achievement
Queensland Teachers' Journal, Vol 127 No 5, 19 July 2024, page 21.
On 9 January 1889, 23 teachers and principals from schools across the colony of Queensland met in Brisbane to establish the first teachers’ union on this continent – the Queensland Teachers’ Union (QTU).
Today, more than 48,000 educators in Queensland schools and TAFEs choose to belong to the QTU. We are here to help you in times of difficulty, to negotiate better pay and conditions, and to work on your behalf to promote the teaching profession. This is something we have done for 135 years, and something that we will continue to do for many more to come.
To celebrate 135 years of Union achievement, we are taking a look back on some snapshots of Union history.
The Queensland Education Journal, the forerunner of today’s Queensland Teachers’ Journal, was founded in 1895. It was founded, managed, and edited by Anthony St Ledger, the first General Secretary of the Queensland Teachers’ Union (1888-89). He worked as editor of the Journal for more than 10 years, promoting reform of the education system.
At its conception, the underlying question was whether the Journal should concentrate on professional and public issues or detailed reporting of internal and industrial issues. This arose because the Journal had to rely heavily on individual teachers and associations’ contributions to provide additional news about the QTU.
Today QTU Officers regularly provide updates on professional issues and a range of industrial matters impacting upon the teaching profession. Members also continue to contribute articles that are reflective of personal teaching experiences, campaign and committee involvement, or work undertaken on behalf of the Union.
The Journal is now up to volume 129 – which is representative of the publication’s grand history of over 129 years in print.
In 2016, the QTU launched the digital version of the Journal, which currently has close to 12,000 subscriptions. To receive the Journal electronically, visit www.qtu.asn.au/myQTU and log in with your membership number and password. Then select “My Newsletters” from the menu on the left and click “I would like to receive an electronic copy”.