The colonial ministries, made up for the most part of liberals whom the unions had long seen as allies, turned sharply against the workers and there were a series of bloody confrontations, particularly in the pastoral areas of Queensland.
Koloniregeringen som for det meste bestod af liberale som fagforeningerne længe havde set som allierede, vendte sig skarpt mod arbejderne, og der var en række blodige sammenstød, særlig i de landlige områder af Queensland.