People Australia

Bill McCosker, n.d.

William Gerald (Bill) McCosker (1863–1955) compositor and trade union official 

Birth: 12 August 1863 at Kentish Town Road, St Pancras, London, England, son of Nicholas Cosker [or McCosker] (1829-1908), cabinet maker, and Ann Bella, née Fallowfield (1840-1915). Marriages: (1) 21 September 1887 at St Stephen’s Catholic Cathedral, at Brisbane, Queensland, to Mary Crampton (1862-1888). (2) 31 July 1889 at Brisbane to Elizabeth Agnes Butler (1867-1949). They had five daughters and two sons. Death: 8 February 1955 in South Brisbane Auxiliary Hospital, Brisbane. Religion: buried with Anglican rites. 

• Arrived in Australia in 1864 with his mother. Learnt trade of hand compositor.
• Attended initial meeting of Typographical Association of Queensland in 1884 and continued membership and activity.
• Gained employment with Queensland Worker newspaper in 1892 and continued for fifty-two years, retiring from the Worker in September 1944.
• Representative at triennial conference of Queensland Typographical Association — later known as the Printing Industry Employees’ Union of Australia [PIEUA], Queensland branch 1910. Participated in the formation of a national union and building a large branch in Qld in 1916.
• Trustee, Board of Management, about 1916 and served in many honorary positions for forty-three years including president, Qld branch.
• Active in Queensland Trades and Labor Council (QTLC) in improving wages and working conditions. Representative of QTLC on Eight-Hour Day Committee.
• Foundation member and secretary of the Workers’ Political Organisation, later know as Queensland branch of the Australian Labor Party. Assisted by his wife, he made two attempts to win the State seat of Toowong. During the 1912 strike — when he was a member of the strike committee — his wife pleaded with the Toowong Vigilance Committee to annul the appointment of special constables, and this was done.
• Bill was vice-president of the Workers’ Educational Association in 1916 and president from 1917 to at least 1939.
• Assisted with the Friendly Society movement, in particular the Manchester Unity Independent Order of Oddfellows, of which he was a past grand master.
• In his youth he took a great interest in gymnastics and was a member of the Brisbane Gymnasium. For some time he served on the Amateur Wrestling and Boxing Council, and on the University of Queensland Council.
• Cause of death: carcinoma of rectum (years) and carcinomatosis (months).

Sources
Printing Trades Journal, March 1955 p 23.