People Australia

John Cochrane, caricature by John Ovenden, 1924

Labor Call (Melbourne), 17 April 1924, p 1

John Andrews (Johnny) Cochrane (1878-1938) bill poster, trade union official and community activist 

Birth: 5 October 1878 at Richmond, Victoria, son of James George Cochrane (1855-1934), a basketmaker born in Adelaide, South Australia, and Julia Louisa, née Andrews (1849-1920), born in London, England. Marriage: 3 September 1915 with Presbyterian forms at Victoria, to native-born Henrietta Amelia ‘Hettie’ Kuehn (1898-1977). They had three sons. Death: 28 April 1938 in his home at Abbottsford, Victoria. Religion: Baptist. 

• His marriage led to his conviction for uttering when the parties were accused of forging the father of the bride’s signature to a document consenting to her underage marriage.
• Secretary of Bill Posters’ Union, Melbourne. Sought ‘patronage’ of Duke of Windsor, who accepted honorary membership of union during his visit to Australia as Prince of Wales in 1920.
• Member, Theatrical Employees Association. House raided by police and military authorities several times during conscription referenda, 1916-7.
• Member of Collingwood branch of the Australian Labor Party. Wages Board delegate. Pioneer in movement for slum abolition.
• In 1931 unsuccessfully contested Labor preselection for the seat of Flinders to oppose S. M. [later Lord] Bruce.
• Noted for his “remarkably jovial disposition”.
• The union sent a cable to the Duke of Windsor notifying him of Cochrane’s death.

Sources
Australian Worker (Sydney), 30 April 1924, p 1; tribute, Labor Call (Melbourne), 5 May 1938, p 8: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/250000045