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Richard Arnold (Dick) Anear (1920–2003)

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Richard Arnold (Dick) Anear (1920–2003) labourer, PMG linesman, trade union leader and Communist

Birth: 27 August 1920, Charters Towers, Qld. Son of Richard Arnold Anear, labourer, and Maud Elener, née Hall. Marriage: 1951 in Cairns to Maria Rosa (Mary) Penna. They had one son and one daughter. Death: 4 September 2003 Greenslopes, Queensland.

  • Began working life, 1934, in butcher’s shop at Chillagoe, north Queensland. Then worked at Chillagoe Copper Smelters before enlisting in Second AIF, seeing service in New Guinea and Borneo.
  • After war worked as a PMG linesman, before returning to meat industry as freezer at Borthwicks plant at Murarrie, Brisbane.
  • 1962, elected Secretary, Meatworkers’ Board of Control, holding position until 1979 at which time elected Branch Secretary. Branch President, 1975-1979 and member of South District Council.
  • 1981 elected Federal Vice-President, Australasian Meat Industry Employees' Union Retired 1985. Assisted in overcoming wages division between incentive and non-incentive workers and in establishing a union run provident fund.
  • 1979-1985, member of executive of Queensland Trades and Labor Council.
  • 1939 Joined CPA. 1949, elected full time secretary of north Queensland district, CPA.
  • Wife, Mary, ‘a staunch and devoted trade unionist in her own right’. Worked at Provincial Traders (now Inghams) for 14 years being local board secretary for 8 years.

Resources
Meatworker (Qld), March/April 1981; October 1985

Additional Resources

Citation details

'Anear, Richard Arnold (Dick) (1920–2003)', People Australia, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, https://peopleaustralia.anu.edu.au/biography/anear-richard-arnold-dick-25520/text33864, accessed 5 October 2023.

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