People Australia

David (Dave) McLeish (1919-2015) electrical fitter and trade union official

Birth: 9 December 1919 at Drummoyne, New South Wales, son of James Dunbar McLeish (1889-1970), carpenter, and Mary Scott Somerville (1891-1943). Both parents were born in Midlothian, Scotland — James at Ratho and May at Canongate. Marriage: 29 March 1952 at Sydney to native-born Patricia Peirce (1926-2007). They had three daughters. Death: 9 February 2015 at Moruya, NSW. 

• Educated at Drummoyne Primary School, Gladstone Park Commercial School, and Drummoyne Intermediate High School. Apprenticed electrical fitter at Godfreys, Waterloo.
• Having served in the Australian Militia Forces from 1938 he enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force on 22 January 1941 and served in the Middle East and Singapore and was later attached to Workshops in Australia. Discharged on 4 June 1946.
• Worked at Amalgamated Wireless Australasia Ltd (AWA) from 1946. Was Electrical Trades Union (ETU) shop steward 1947 and convenor of shop stewards 1948. Member of the NSW State Council of the ETU. Member of the NSW State Executive ETU 1949. Vice-president of the NSW branch of the ETU 1949. Secretary of the general trade sub-branch of the ETU 1952. Elected organiser, NSW branch ETU, in 1953. Industrial officer, NSW branch ETU, 1960. Assistant secretary ETU 1964 onwards. Secretary of the NSW branch from 1966 onwards. National vice-president of the ETU in 1973-1978. National president ETU and member of the national executive.
• Member of the Australian Labor Party. Member of ALP committees of finance, local government policy, local government administration from 1973 at least. Union delegate to the NSW Labor Council for many years and served on disputes committee.
• Attended Australian Administrative Staff College advanced course, Victoria, 1959. Member of the second Commonwealth Study Conference, Canada, 1962. Union representative at annual convention of ETU, New Zealand. Union representative on study tour of Japan, Canada, United States of America 1972. Union representative International Monetary Fund, Kuala Lumpur, 1973.
• Member of the Apprenticeship Council of NSW from 1969 onwards. Member of the Council of the University of NSW 1974 onwards. President of the Industrial Relations Society of NSW. Part-time director of the Australian Industry Development Corporation from 1977 onwards. Member of the Electronic Manufacturing Advisory Committee; member of the National Electronic Industry Training committee; executive member of the Trade Development Council; committee member of the Association for Mental Health. Union representative on the Apprenticeship Advisory Council of NSW.
• Awarded OAM in January 1982 for service to trade unionism.

Sources
Labor Year Book. 1973; ETU News, January 1961, November 1964, October 1972, May 1973; ETU News, 'Polar: The greatest servant', p 95.