The Dalfram Dispute 1938 – Pig Iron Bob

On November 15th 1938, 180 men on the Port Kembla Wharf south of Sydney voted against loading one ship, the Dalfram and in doing so created Australian History. They knew pig iron – a type of steel ‐ from Port Kembla was being turned into bullets and bombs as Japan. For 11 weeks, despite Government and industry pressure, they could not be persuaded to load the ship. Attorney General at the time, Bob Menzies, was given the nickname Pig Iron Bob during the dispute and it lasted his lifetime.