People Australia

Charles Wilson Anderson (1918-2009) plumber, trade union official, politician and milk vendor

Born: 16 February 1918, Burwood, Sydney, New South Wales.  Son of Mervyn Wilson Anderson, labourer, and Alicia Mabel, née McDonald. Marriage: (1) 2 August 1941 in Kensington to Vera Josephine Delaney (1916-1973). They had three sons and three daughters. (2) 1978 in Kensington to Peggy Merle Gardiner. Death: 15 August 2009 in Nunyara Nursing Home, Peakhurst, NSW. Religion: Roman Catholic.

• Plumber and union official.
• Educated at Granville Technical College;
• trained as plumber and drainer;
• worked as journeyman plumber, 1935-43.
• Assistant Secretary, Plumbers and Gasfitters Union, 1943-49.
• President, NSW Trades and Labor Council, 1947-49.
• Assistant Secretary, NSW Australian Labor Party, 1949-51; Organising Secretary, 1951-52; Acting General Secretary, December 1952, General Secretary, March 1953. Resigned ALP secretaryship, 1954. Member, ALP Central Executive, 1946-50; Vice-President,1947-50; Campaign director, 1952; delegate Federal Executive and Federal Conference, 1953-54.
• NSW Member Legislative Council, October 1951-February 1953, opposing abolition of Council.
• Executive member, Australian Council of Trades Unions 1947-49;
• Commissioner, Maritime Services Board 1948-49;
• Member, Australian Broadcasting Commission, 1949-52.

Sources
Heather Radi, Peter Spearrit and Elizabeth Hinton, Biographical Register of the NSW Parliament 1901-1970 (Canberra, 1979)