People Australia

Frederick James (Fred) McCauley (1905-1995) bricklayer, trade union leader, club manager and alderman 

Birth: 30 August 1905 at Queanbeyan, New South Wales, son of native-born parents Daniel John McCauley (1878-1963), a bricklayer, born at Dandenong, Victoria, and Sarah Anne, née Waters (1881-1921), born at Queanbeyan. Marriage: 7 November 1929 at Cooma, NSW, to Leila Annie McGregor (1907-1989). They had two daughters and one son. Death: 11 December 1995 in his usual residence Edgewood Park Nursing Home, Batehaven, NSW. Religion: Catholic. 

• Grew up in Queanbeyan. Moved to Canberra to study and find work. Apprenticed as a bricklayer about 1921.
• Bricklaying work included St Christopher’s Cathedral and St Paul’s Church in Canberra and the United States Embassy.
• Instrumental in forming the Bricklayers Union before World War II, often travelled on his bicycle to other building sites in Canberra to organise bricklayers.
• the Bricklayers Union joined with the original Amalgamated Society of Carpenters and Joiners to form the Building Workers’ Industrial Union of Australia. He became the first full-time secretary of the BWIU in Canberra and held the position for thirty years. He was instrumental in winning a 5-day 40-hour week, paid sick leave and three and later four weeks annual leave.
• While he was secretary, Canberra was very much short of skilled building workers, so he arranged for 150 building workers to be trade tested in Germany and brought them to Canberra, all expenses paid, to work in the cottage industry for V. Jennings. Many of the “Jennings Germans” remained in Canberra setting up businesses and raised their families.
• Was a member of the National Executive of the BWIU for many years including president.
• President of the ACT Trades and Labour Council for ten years.
• Member of the Legislative Assembly for four years while secretary of the ACT BWIU; Member of ACT Advisory Council for 4 years while Secretary of ACT BWIU.
• Alderman Queanbeyan County Council 1957-1965. Instrumental in raising funds to build the Canberra Tradesmen's Union Club in Dickson and was one of its first Directors and served on the Board for 20 years.
• In 1964 he led a deputation of Australian Trade Unionists to Russia. A practicing Catholic, he also visited the Vatican in Rome.
• Started Woden Trademen's Club and was its first secretary/manager; was granted life membership and gold life membership in 1983.
• Member, ACT Apprenticeship Board for 26 years and member ACT Apprenticeship Work Committee.
• Member, National Capital Development Commission Planning Committee.
• Member Queanbeyan Hospital Board for 25 years. Member, Australian Broadcasting Commission advisory committee. Member, Canberra Public Library Service Advisory Committee. He was a justice of the peace from 1964.
• Appointed MBE in January 1972, he was nominated for Canberran of the Year in 1978.
• Occupation on death certificate shown as club manager. Cause of death: cerebro-vascular accident (2 weeks) and general atherosclerosis (10 years). 

Sources
Building Worker, December 1995; Passport, 7 December 1970; Letter from Bob Hawke, Prime Minister, congratulating Fred and his wife on their diamond wedding anniversary; Certificate of 30 years’ service as Justice of Peace, 13 December 1994; Life membership certificate from BWIU of Australia, 23 November 1983.