People Australia

Ralph Marsh, n.d.

photo supplied by Donna Lincoln

Ralph Benson Marsh (1909-1989) boilermaker, trade union official and parliamentarian

Birth: 30 September 1909 at Newcastle, New South Wales, son of Hugh Walter Marsh (1874-1950), a marine engineer born at Belfast, Ireland, and native-born Jane Ann, née Benson (1880-1939). Marriage: 11 February 1933 at St Mary’s Catholic Cathedral, Sydney, to Irene Mary Kermode (1912-1967), born at Manchester, Lancashire, England. They had two daughters and two sons. Death: 9 May 1989 at Bankstown hospital, usual residence Anderson Road, Northmead, NSW. Religion: converted Catholic. 

• Ralph was educated at Nambucca Heads Public School, He joined the NSW Government Railways in 1926 as an apprentice boilermaker.
• Mostly unemployed between 1931 and 1933, he was a boilermaker with the railway department at Enfield in 1934, Narrabri West in 1934-1939 and Chullora in 1940-1949. He was secretary-treasurer of the Boilermakers' Society of Australia’s Redfern branch from 1949 to 1957.
• Marsh was organiser for the Trades and Labor Council (TLC) in 1957-1958, assistant general-secretary 1958-1967 and general-secretary from 1967 to 1975. He was delegate to the Australian Council of Trade Unions 1964 and vice-president in 1969-1975.
• Joining the Australian Labor Party in 1933, he was branch secretary and president, delegate to State Council FEC, Annual conferences; Member of state central executive 1952-1962, trustee 1968.
• On 14 November 1962 he was elected to the NSW Legislative Council (casual vacancy). He held the seat until 22 April 1976 when he retired.
• He was secretary and general manager of radio station 2KY in 1967-1975, director of television station TCN 9 and radio station 2HD Newcastle.
• He was delegate to the International Labour Organisation conference in Geneva 1962 and 1974 and in Colombo 1975; delegate International Confederation of Free Trade Unions, West Berlin 1962, Djakarta 1970, Asian regional conferences 1975; delegate to New Zealand Federation of Labor Conference 1967 and All Union Central Council of Trade Unions, USSR, 1972.
• Represented the TLC on Industrial Relations Advisory Council, Committee on Discrimination in Employment and Occupation, and Productivity Promotions Committee; represented ACTU on National Labor Advisory Life member, ALP NSW branch in 1986, nominated by Administrative Committee ALP.
• He was appointed OBE in 1975.
• Member NSW Leagues Club, NSW Catholic Club, Canterbury-Bankstown Master Builders, Canterbury-Bankstown Bowls Club.
• Cause of death: metastatic adenocarcinoma colon (1 year), congestive cardiac failure (years) and complete heart block (3 years). 

Sources
Heather Radi, Peter Spearritt and Elizabeth Hinton (eds), Biographical Register of the NSW Parliament 1901-1970 (Canberra, 1979); Labor Year Book 1973.