People Australia

Harold Millington, n.d.

Harold Millington (1875-1951) miner, trade union official and parliamentarian

Birth: 24 or 25 April 1875 at Yacka/Gawler, South Australia, son of John Francis Millington (1843-1933), farmer, born at Launceston, Tasmania, and Rebecca, née Goodyear or Goodger. Marriages: (1) 15 May 1902 at Kalgoorlie, Western Australia, to Ethel Lillian Clarke (1874-1942), born at Maldon, Victoria. They had three sons. (2) 12 January 1944 at Perth, WA, to Mabel Grace, née Baker, late Loane (1901-1983). 1 stepdaughter. Death: 25 October 1951 at St John of God Hospital, Perth; usual residence Alexander Drive, Mt Lawley, Perth. Religion: Methodist. 

• Moved to Western Australia in 1894 and worked on eastern goldfields Wealth of Nations rush. Worked at Menzies and Yuella in 1895. Was an underground miner on the Golden Mile, Kalgoorlie, 1900.
• Joined Filterpress and Cyanide Workers’ Union. First president of the Amalgamated Surface Workers’ Union in 1912. Full-time secretary of the Goldfields Council of Australian Labour Federation 1914. Secretary and treasurer of the Goldfields Carters and Drivers Industrial Union of Workers 1913. Vice-president of the Eastern Goldfields Labour Federation 1912. Assistant secretary of Trades Hall Council 1926. Delegate to Australian Labor Party (WA Division) Fourth General Council (Tenth Labour Congress) 1919. Assistant secretary and secretary of the State executive of ALP, 1921 (2)-24.
• Labor member of the Legislative Council for North-East Province from 1914 (by-election) to 1920 (defeated).
• Member of the Legislative Assembly for Leederville from 1924 to 1930 and for Mount Hawthorn from 1930 to 1947. Contested North-East Province in 1920, and Leederville in 1921.
• Minister without portfolio from April to December 1927. Minister for Agriculture from December 1927 to April 1930; for Police 1928-1930; for Agriculture and North-West 1933-1935, for Police, Education and Water Supplies 1935-1936, for Public Works and Water Supplies 1936-1943 and for Employment 1939-1943 (resigned).
• Director, People’s Printing and Publishing Co. Chairman of Stewards, WA Trotting Association, 1947-1949.
• Cause of death: congestive cardiac failure (3 weeks), coronary heart disease (contributory cause); prostatic hypertrophy, urine retention, prostatectomy.

Sources
David Black and Geoffrey Bolton, Biographical Register of the members of the parliament of Western Australia vol 1, 1870-1930, (Perth, 1990); Westralian Worker, 8 Jan. 1943 p.3, 3 Dec. 1943 p.1; Communist, 11 Aug. 1922 p.3 No.75