People Australia

Arthur Leavold, caricature by Dick Ovenden, 1924

Labor Call (Melbourne), 31 January 1924, p 12

Leavold, Arthur Mills (1888-1952) bookbinder, trade union official and city councillor

Birth: 22 September 1888 Ascot Vale, Melbourne, Victoria, son of native-born parents Charles Abbott Leavold (1859-1926), bookbinder and staunch unionist, and Mary, née Tindall. Marriage: 1911 at Moonee Ponds, Melbourne, to Mabel Maud Watson (1888-1968), a packer, born in Melbourne. They had two daughters and one son. Death: 17 December 1952 in his residence at Moonee Ponds, Essendon, Melbourne. 

• Apprenticed as letterpress bookbinder at William Detmold Ltd Melbourne. Worked at Modern Printing Co. and in 1911 Govt. Printing Office.
• Formed ANA 1908. Held various offices in Bookbinders and Paper Rulers’ Federation including president and branch secretary and from 1915 to 1920 was federal secretary.
• One of the leaders involved in negotiations leading to amalgamation of bookbinders with printers from the Victorian Branch of the Bookbinders Federation to form the Victorian Branch of Printing Industry Employees’ Union (PIEUA), 1920.
• Resigned from Govt. Printing office to take up official union position. First secretary of PIEUA established in Victoria in 1921-1922, president 1922-23 and Victorian councillor.
• Relinquished secretaryship when elected male organiser of enlarged branch being formed with absorption the Victorian Typographical Society, Women Bookbinders and Stationary Employees’ Union and the Cardboard Box and Carton Workers’ Union into the PIEUA Victorian branch, 1922. Assistant secretary 1932.
• Member, PIEUA Federal Council, including president 1922 and vice-president 1950. Secretary-treasurer, Printing Industry Employees’ Union, Victorian branch 1950.
• Director, Industrial Printing and Publicity Co.
• Returning officer, Trade Hall Council Melbourne (THC) and other unions. Represented Victorian branch of union on THC from branch’s formation and prior the Bookbinders’ Association continuously until his death.
• Member of the disputes committee THC. Federal councillor of the THC. Representative of THC on Victorian Apprenticeship Commission.
• Member of the Australian Labor Party from about 1920 and represented Essendon branch on Essendon Campaign Council during election times. Represented Essendon ALP branch and union at ALP conferences to 1932 at least.
• Endorsed Labor councillor, Essendon City Council, 1936 to 1939.
• Cause of death: coronary occlusion, atherosclerosis and hypertension.

Sources
Merrifield Card Index, Printing Trades Journal, 19 September 1922, 14 June 1932, May 1950, January 1953; Labor Call (Melbourne), 18 Decembe3 1952 p 1; ALP Victoria, Branch Central Executive Report, 1952-53.