People Australia

James Thomas (Jim) Collins (1923-1996) tailor’s cutter and trade union official 

Birth: 27 June 1923 at Sydney, New South Wales, son of Michael Joseph Collins (1991-1957) and Ellen Mabel, ‘Nellie’ Ozard (1900-1987). Marriage: September 1946 at Marrickville to native-born Marie Patricia Kenny (1925-2013). They seem to have had nine children. Death: 16 October 1996 at Cronulla, NSW. Religion: Catholic. 

• Worked as a tailor’s cutter and lived at Campsie, Sydney, in 1949.
• Initially pro-Grouper. Elected organiser NSW branch Clothing & Allied Trades Union (CATU) late 1950s, having stood unsuccessfully for position in 1954.
• In 1960, as official Australian Labor Party candidate, defeated incumbent Grouper candidate Jack Kenna for secretaryship of NSW branch CATU, retaining position until early resignation in 1967.
• Unsuccessful candidate for preselection for the seat of Parkes in September 1965.
• Spent some time in Bathurst and then Blackheath, when in February 1971 he contested the seat of Blue Mountains for the ALP.
• Later moved to Cronulla.

Sources
Bradon Ellem, In women’s hands? A history of clothing trades unionism in Australia (Sydney, 1989).