People Australia

John Ducker, 1975

National Archives of Australia, B582:D3/2/1975/L

John Patrick (Bruvver) Ducker (1932-2005) ironworker, trade union official and politician 

Birth: 29 March 1932 at Hull, Yorkshire, England, son of Rowland Watson Ducker (1889-1953) and Ruth, née Richman (1891-1969). Marriage: 1963 at Newtown, Sydney, New South Wales, to Valerie Elizabeth Smith. They had two sons and one daughter. Death: 25 November 2005 at Sydney. Religion: Catholic. 

• The youngest of six children. Educated at Hull Public School. Left school at 14 and went to work on the docks in Hull. Worked in steel industry in United Kingdom. His father worked on the buses and was active in his union. John arrived in Australia with parents in April 1950 aboard the Ranchi.
• Trades assistant to boilermakers, electricians and engineers. Worked as a furnaceman.
• Joined Federated Ironworkers’ Association (FIA). Was minutes secretary of Sydney branch of the FIA in 1952. Organiser, Sydney branch FIA from 1952 to about 1959. FIA delegate to NSW Labor Council, 1953. Life member, FIA.
• Joined Australian Labor Party in 1951. Secretary and president of NSW Council of ALP Youth. Junior vice-president of NSW branch of ALP, 1967; President of NSW ALP, 1970-79; Delegate to annual conference of ALP from 1953; Member of NSW Central Executive of ALP, 1963 to 1970; junior Federal vice-president; member of Federal Executive Industrial Relations Committee, ALP.
• Elected member of NSW Legislative Council from 29 February 1972 to 5 September 1979.
• Member of NSW Labor Council Disputes Committee from 1960. Organiser NSW Labor Council 1961 to 1967 at least. Assistant secretary of NSW Labor Council, elected unopposed, in 1967. Senior vice-president NSW Labor Council.
• Member of ACTU Executive; Participated in study tour of US, UK, Europe and South-East Asia for 3 months in 1966.
• Life member, ALP NSW branch in 1992, nominated by Administrative Committee ALP.
• Director of Qantas Airways Ltd, GIO Australia Holdings Ltd, Aristocrat Leisure Ltd, Hills Motorway Group.
• Commissioner of Maritime Services Board of NSW. Member of NSW Leagues Club, Manly-Warringah Leagues Club, Harbord Diggers.
• Appointed AO in 1979.

Sources
Lyb. 1973; ALP Year Book (NSW Branch) 1967; ALP News, 4 October 1966, 28 November 1967.