The FSU is proud to have contributed to a bronze statue at Victorian Trades Hall dedicated to Zelda D’Aprano, a unionist whose contribution to the fight for women’s rights is widely respected and admired. We recently attended the unveiling of the statue.
Zelda is best remembered for her 1969 protest where she chained herself to the Commonwealth building to protest a ruling
against equal pay for women. The plans for this brave act of defiance were initially discussed at a trades hall meeting with Diana Sonenberg, Sec
retary of the Insurance Staff Federation (which would later become part of the FSU), marking a pivotal moment in our own union’s history.
Zelda was also recognised for breaking social barriers, as she was the first woman unionist to join men at the Curtain, a pub across from Trades Hall in Melbourne.
The statue is a tangible reminder of Zelda’s courage and the ongoing battle for equality.