The Rosebud Incident continued to occupy a small portion of the media’s attention, but ceased altogether once preliminary hearings were announced for the agent and his accomplice within one week of their arrests. The date – March 18 – augured well for those planning a state-wide strike, almost guaranteeing extensive media coverage for the workers’ march that would begin immediately after the annual Labour Day parade through city streets.
Extra train services were scheduled for the public holiday, with free fares for those travelling to and from the CBD. The parade didn’t begin until four, so some workers and their families took advantage of fine, slightly cooler weather to picnic in Melbourne’s remaining park, or along the banks of the murky Yarra. Singles and couples – mostly young and m
