People Australia

Patrick (Paddy) Conway (1898-1969) coalminer, carrier and trade union official 

Birth: 27 August 1898 at Motherwell, Lanarkshire, Scotland, son of Richard Conway (1860-1932), coalminer, and Rose Ann, née Moore (1856-1912). Marriage: 6 February 1924 at Sacred Heart church, Booval, Queensland, to Queensland-born Isabella Emily Kruger (1899-1982). They had two daughters and three sons. Death: 21 December 1969 in hospital at Ipswich, Queensland. 

• Was living with his family at Holytown, Lanarkshire, in 1901. Came to Queensland about 1921. As his parents remained in Scotland, he may have arrived with siblings. His sister Helen married in Queensland in 1912. Two brothers, Lawrence and James, enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force in Brisbane: Lawrence in December 1914 and James in July 1915.
• Coalminer at Blackheath, Queensland, in the 1920s but was forced to leave the industry during depression of early 1930s.
• Worked as carrier before returning to coalmining at Rylance pit.
• Active in Militant Minority Movement in West Moreton district in 1930s. Elected second full-time Queensland district check inspector for Miners' Federation in 1950, retaining position until retirement in 1959 and working closely with Jack Pocock.
• Member, Central Council of Miners' Federation 1951-52 (defeated).
• Member, Australian Labor Party's Oxley executive in 1950s.
• An ardent socialist and reputedly widely read, he maintained a private library for use by fellow miners & gave tuition to younger miners.
• Cause of death: cerebro-vascular accident and hypertension.

Sources
Pete Thomas, The coalminers of Queensland: a narrative history of the Queensland Colliery Employees Union. Volume 1 Creating the traditions (Ipswich, 1986).