People Australia

Arthur Horace (Nugget) Olive (1896-1950) wheelwright, trade union official and Communist organiser

Birth: September 1896 at Pymble, New South Wales, son of William James (Billy) Olive (1869-1957), a blacksmith, born at Kyneton, Victoria, and Emily, née Denny (1869-1934), born at Yass, NSW. Marriage: 9 June 1923 at Ayr, Queensland, to Catherine (Kath) Brosnan (1893-1985), born at Greenwood, Queensland. They had two daughters. Death: 4 December 1950 in Sydney. Religion: Red funeral, with Edgar Ross reading oration. 

• Apprenticed as wheelwright.
• Was a coachbuilder, living at Pymble, Sydney, when he enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force on 17 May 1915. Served with the 3rd Battalion and was severely wounded in August 1915 at Lone Pine, Gallipoli, as a stretcher-bearer. Spent convalescence in England. Rejoined his unit at ANZAC in November 1915. Served in France with the 55th Battalion. Was again wounded, on 30 September 1918, at Bellicourt, for which action he was awarded the Military Medal for bravery in the field. Returned to Australia in February 1919 and was discharged on 28 April 1919.
• On repatriation, he worked in the Clarence River district, Queensland, as a cane cutter and cane farmer. Joined Communist Party of Australia (CPA) in 1934. With Fred Paterson, he led Burdekin farmers in a campaign for improved position in sugar industry.
• Moved back to Sydney in 1937. Worked as an ironworker, becoming organiser for Sydney branch of Federated Ironworkers' Association. Prominent in FIA during struggle with Groupers for control of Balmain branch.
• During World War II he was an active soldiers' welfare worker. Was CPA organiser at Lithgow from 1947 to 1948.
• Moved to Darwin, Northern Territory, in 1948, becoming secretary of North Australian Workers' Union from January 1949. He held this post until he died in office en route to Arbitration Court hearing in Melbourne.
• Cause of death: cerebral haemorrhage (1 day) and malignant hypertension (6 months).
• Brother of Douglas Charles Harry Olive (1905-1985) and John Joseph (Jack) Olive (1898-1967), brother-in-law of Kath Olive, all of whom were also CPA members.

Sources
John Playford, Doctrinal and strategic problems of the Communist Party of Australia, 1945-1962, Ph.D thesis, ANU,1962; Tribune (Sydney), 7 December 1950 & 26 October 1955.