People Australia

George Lawson, by Sidney Riley, 193?

National Library of Australia, 23460711

George Lawson (1880-1966) carter, trade union official and parliamentarian 

Birth: 14 August 1880 at South Pine River, Caboolture district, Queensland, eighth of ten children of Irish-born parents from Drum, County Monaghan, Alexander Lawson (1836-1910), a farmer, and Mary, née Reilley (1840-1926). Marriages: (1) 16 January 1907 with Presbyterian forms in the bride’s father’s home at South Brisbane to native-born Rebecca Jane Buchanan (1883-1918), a civil servant. They had two sons. (2) 14 September 1935 at St Stephen’s Catholic Cathedral, Brisbane to Kathleen Lally (1905-1994), born at Turraune, King’s County [Offaly], Ireland. Death: 25 November 1966 in his home at Killawarra, Road, Ashgrove, Brisbane. Religion: Catholic. 

• Educated at Warner State school. Worked as a carter.
• Served in South African war, 1900-1901, and was mentioned in dispatches.
• Was founding member, secretary and organiser of the Federated Carters’ Union, Brisbane; general secretary of the Road Transport Workers Union, Queensland branch, from 1908 to 1932.
• President of the Trades and Labour Council, Brisbane. Central executive member of the Queensland Australian Labor Party. Delegate to Australian Labor Conference 1921; delegate to International Labour O Conference, Geneva 1925 and 1945.
• Alderman Windsor Town Council 1916-1921.
• Member of the Legislative Council, Queensland from 1919 until the council was abolished in 1922.
• Elected member for Brisbane in the Federal House of Representatives in December 1931. He was Opposition whip from 1934 to 1941 and minister for transport and assistant minister to the postmaster general from 1941 to 1943 (Labor). He retired from parliament in 1961.
• Cause of death: generalised atherosclerosis (years) , myocardial infarction 4 years) and general debility. 

Sources
Duncan Bruce Waterson, Biographical register of the Queensland Parliament 1860-1929 (Sydney, 2001); Joan Rydon (ed), A biographical register of the Commonwealth Parliament 1901-1972 (ANU Press, 1975) Australian Worker(Sydney), 30 July 1924 p.1.