People Australia

Daniel Patrick (Dan) McLaughlin (1876-1937) carter and trade union official 

Birth: 23 December 1876 at Collingwood, Victoria, son of Daniel McLaughlin (1838-1897), born in Derry, Ireland, a horse dealer, later storekeeper, then baker, and native-born Catherine, née McDonough (1843-1910). Marriages: (1) 1917 at Melbourne to Rose Alice Lyons (1892-1924). They had one son. (2) 1939 at Melbourne to Kathleen Nora O’Brien (1900-1990). They had one daughter, born in 1936. Death: 18 June 1937 in hospital at East Melbourne; usual residence York Street, West Preston. 

• Member, Australian Workers’ Union (AWU), 1906, enrolled by Jack McNeill, later member of the House of Representatives.
• Appointed organiser, Victoria-Riverina branch, AWU from about 1910 to about 1915. Member of federal and State executives, AWU.
• Honorary secretary of the Salaried Officers’ Association. Secretary of the Rope and Cordage Employees’ Union in 1923 at least. Secretary, Male Confectioners’ Union, Victoria, in 1924 at least.
• Member of the Australian Labor Party central executive for two years.
• Active in Anti-Sweating League till his death.
• Member of committee involved in slum abolition. Contributed occasional articles to the Labor press and delivered broadcasts on the radio.
• Cause of death: asthma, bronchitis and broncho-pneumonia.

Sources
Labor Call, 24 June 1937 p 6; Victorian ALP central executive Report in Labor Call, 21 April 1938, p 9; Australian Worker (Sydney), 14 March 1923 p 15, 26 March 1924, p 1.