People Australia

William Arthur (Bill) Douglas (1901-1962) motor driver, trade unionist 

Birth: 8 February 1901 at Broken Hill, New South Wales, eldest child of native-born parents Archibald William Douglas (1880-1936), miner, and Alma Victoria, née Rook (1884-1917). Marriage: 27 June 1928 at St Francis Xavier’s Cathedral, Adelaide, South Australia, to Hanora O’Sullivan (1901-1998), teacher, born at Cahirdaha, County Cork, Ireland.  They had one daughter and four sons. Death: 27 July 1962 in hospital at Parramatta, Sydney. Religion: Catholic. 

• Started work shovelling lead and zinc for Broken Hill mines at age of 13 to support family of six, Father served with the Australian Imperial Force in WWI.
• Later employed on mines as member of the Federated Engine Drivers’ and Firemen’s Association of Australasia (FED&FA). Prevented non-union labour from working during the 1919-1920 strike by drawing the fires from the donkey boilers driving the winders to lower men underground. Motor driver on south mine for several years.
• Active in FED&FA and Australian Labor Party. Active in unemployed movement during 1930s. He and his wife were opposed to Franco forces during Spanish civil war.
• To Seven Hills [Toongabbie], Sydney, about 1952. Soon after move was involved in train accident where he lost an arm and later also suffered ill-health.

Sources
Common Cause, 4 August 1962 p 4.