People Australia

Rudolph Guppy, 1951

Western Mail (Perth), 29 March 1951, p 57

Rudolph Walter (Gup) Guppy, (1887-1958) lumper and trade union official

Birth: 1887 at Euroa, Victoria, and registered as Randolph Walter, son of native-born parents Walter Guppy (1855-1934), storekeeper, later carpenter, and Isabella, née Ballard (1860-1941). Marriage: (1) 29 October 1913 at Bunbury, Western Australia, to Edith Mary Cole (1885-1950), born in Kent, England. They had three daughters and two sons. (2) 18 May 1955 at Perth, to Martha Veasey Brodie. Death: 4 September 1958 in hospital at Bunbury, WA; usual address Ecclestone Street, South Bunbury. Religion: Anglican. 

• Joined Bunbury, WA, branch of Waterside Workers’ Federation of Australia in 1908. Worked on wharf for next fourteen years.
• Elected secretary of branch in 1920. Held position for thirty-seven years, retiring following ill-health in 1957.
• In the 1930s was a member of the Bunbury Harbour Board. From 1942 to 1946 was an employee representative on the Bunbury Waterside Employment Committee.
• Served for over forty years with the Bunbury Volunteer Fire Brigade. During World War I he was captain of the brigade for five years. Held other positions and was a trustee and life member by 1951.
• Cause of death: myocardial infarction, coronary occlusion, atherosclerosis, chronic congestive cardiac failure and hypertension.

Sources
Maritime Worker, 23 July 1957.