People Australia

Mick Howland, n.d.

Labor Daily (Sydney), 1 October 1928, p 4

Michael James (Mick) Howland (1836 -1929) iron moulder and trade union official 

Birth: 29 September 1836 in County Limerick, Ireland, son of John Howland (b.1799), labourer. Marriages: (1) 23 October 1859 at St Stephen’s Anglican Church, Southwark, Surrey, England, to Margaret Swanscott (1832-1887). They had six sons and two daughters. Death: 26 January 1929 in his home at Birrell Street, Waverley, Sydney, New South Wales. Religion: Anglican. 

• Worked as a moulder in England. Member, Ancient Order of Foresters. Chief Ranger, Lodge Court Old England
• Emigrated with his wife to Australia aboard the Fitz James, arriving on 20 February 1859, and worked as a moulder for P. N. Russell and Co., Sydney.
• Founder and first secretary of the Friendly Trade Society of Iron Moulders of NSW (Iron Moulders’ Union) 1872, with John Talbot as president.
• Regular participant in Eight Hour procession in Sydney from its inception until 1927. He claimed never to have missed a procession since its first and to be the last surviving Eight Hours Day committee pioneer.
• Made the fire bricks for the first furnace for making pig iron in NSW in Mittagong.
• Later worked for his son John, who had a foundry in Glebe. Retired in 1921 and became an old age pensioner. Was a member of the Ancient Order of Foresters from 1862.
• Cause of death: senility.

Sources
W. J. Hargreaves, History of Federated Moulders (Metals) Union of Australia, 1858-1958 (Sydney, 1958); Daily Mail, 3 October 1922, 6 October 1924; Australian Worker (Sydney), 7 October 1925, p 1, 6 February 1929, p 1.