THE SIEGE OF UNION STREET written by Alistair Hulett

The liner notes say, "The Unemployed Workers Union was formed ... during the Great Depression to fight evictions by heartless landlords of destitute families for non-payment of rent.... Matters came to a head in Union Street in the inner city suburb of Erskineville in Sydney, when over a thousand militants fought a pitched battle with police that lasted several days."

The first stanza goes,

You should have seen us down at Erko
Fourteenth August, Saturday night
To Newtown, Stanmore, Enmore and Petersham
Calls went out, "Workers unite!"
We built a bloody great wall
With planks and boards full seven foot tall
We didn't mind the howling winds and sleet
When we stood round the fire at Union Street

Other sources (e.g., http://jcmhood.squarespace.com/newtown-eviction) say the siege took place in Newtown, not in the neighboring suburb of Erskineville, and on 19 June 1931, not 14 August (and those were both Fridays, not Saturdays), but this nitpicking does not detract from the power of the song.

Here's a recording of Alistair, accompanied by Dave Swarbrick: https://youtu.be/ioD8AvSfp2c