The 1949 Australian coal strike is the first time that Australian military forces were used during peacetime to break a Trade union strike. The strike by 23,000 coal miners lasted for seven weeks, from 27 June, 1949 to 15 August, 1949, with troops being sent in by the Ben Chifley Federal Labor Government to the open cut coal mines in New South Wales on 28 July, 1949, with the workers returning to work defeated two weeks later.