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William John (Jack) Morrison (1901–1986)

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William John (Jack) Morrison (1901-1986) labourer, bookshop manager and Communist organiser 

Birth: 2 September 1901 at Barcaldine, Central Queensland, son of Robert Morrison (1861-1948), Salvation Army officer, born at Glen Lodge, Peebles, Traquair, Peebleshire, Scotland, and Queensland-born Rosina Kate (Rose), née Bell (1875-1913). Marriage: 1929 at Geelong, Victoria, to native-born Audrey Maud Allen (1906-1993). They had one daughter and one son. Death: 26 June 1986 at Geelong. 

  • Educated to primary school level. Gained work as a labourer and stockman.
  • Worked at Ford’s factory in Geelong in 1926 and was dismissed in 1927.
  • Moved to Sydney in 1927 and attended Communist Party lectures. Joined Communist Party of Australia and soon served on its central committee.
  • Returned to Geelong in 1929. First national secretary of Friends of the Soviet Union, which formed in 1930.
  • Manager of Communist Party’s International Bookshop, Melbourne, from 1937 to 1970. The bookshop was registered as a private company so it escaped the setbacks of illegality and became a link to the Communist movement when other links were not available.
  • Morrison was a capable and forceful speaker and a good organiser. He was CPA candidate for the Federal seat of Corio in 1934.
  • Cause of death: metastatic carcinoma right parotid gland (6 months).

Sources
Tribune, 9 July 1986 p 13.

Additional Resources and Scholarship

  • profile, Tribune (Sydney), 4 March 1970, p 3
  • photo, Tribune (Sydney), 25 January 1984, p 11

Related Entries in NCB Sites

Citation details

'Morrison, William John (Jack) (1901–1986)', People Australia, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, https://peopleaustralia.anu.edu.au/biography/morrison-william-john-jack-34493/text43321, accessed 27 April 2025.

© Copyright People Australia, 2012

Life Summary [details]

Birth

2 September, 1901
Barcaldine, Queensland, Australia

Death

26 June, 1986 (aged 84)
Geelong, Victoria, Australia

Cause of Death

cancer (parotid gland)

Cultural Heritage

Includes subject's nationality; their parents' nationality; the countries in which they spent a significant part of their childhood, and their self-identity.

Religious Influence

Includes the religion in which subjects were raised, have chosen themselves, attendance at religious schools and/or religious funeral rites; Atheism and Agnosticism have been included.

Occupation or Descriptor
Key Organisations
Political Activism
Workplaces