People Australia

Cecil Oliver, 1940

National Archives of Australia, B883, WX7039

Cecil Thompson ('Charlie') Oliver (1902-1990) mine worker, trade union official and parliamentarian 

Birth: 23 December 1901 at Bangor, Carnarvon County, Wales, son of John Murray Oliver (1869-1943?), grocer's manager, and Elizabeth Veitch Jane, née Thompson (1868-1936). Marriage: 22 January 1931 at the district registrar’s office, Midland Junction, Western Australia, to Ray Lord (1908-1987), born at Perth. They had one son. Death 24 February 1990 at Sutherland Hospital, Sydney, New South Wales; usual residence Renown Avenue, Miranda. 

• Joined Agricultural Employees Union at age of 13. Became steelworker soon afterwards.
• Arrived in Western Australia about 1921; worked in mines. Was a farm labourer at Koolanooka about 1930. Holder of conditional purchase lease farming at Perenjori about 1931-1934. On the mines in Murchison (Big Bell) from mid 1930s to 1941-1942.
• Appointed organiser for the metropolitan and south west districts of the Australian Workers’ Union (AWU) in 1942 and helped to organise Murchison miners into AWU. President and secretary of Murchison District Labor Council. Secretary, AWU mining division from 1943-1948. based in Boulder. Executive councillor of WA branch to federal executive of AWU and State delegate to federal convention 1948. Workers' representative on Mine Workers' Relief Fund. AWU delegate to Eastern Goldfields District Council in 1940s.
• Went to NSW as NSW branch secretary of the AWU, and occupied position 1951-1978 (had lost position 17 January to 12 May 1970, reinstated by Commonwealth Industrial Court). NSW branch secretary AWU from March 1979 to 15 September 1980. NSW branch president of the AWU in 1980-1985. Vice-president of the federal AWU.
• Joined the Australian Labor Party in the 1930s. Honorary secretary of the Mt Magnet branch ALP 1939; president Murchison district council of the ALP in late 1941. Executive member of NSW branch of ALP 1952, junior vice-president 1955; president NSW branch ALP 1960-1970; NSW delegate to ALP Federal conference many times and in 1965 visited the United States of America, Europe and Israel.
• Member of the Legislative Assembly for seat of Boulder, WA, from December 1948 (in a by-election) to August 1951 (resigned).
• Life member, ALP NSW branch in 1979, nominated by AWU. Appointed member of the Order of Australia [AM] in 1984 for services to unionism.
• Lived in Sydney in retirement.
• Cause of death: pleural effusion (weeks), chronic airflow limitation (years), silicosis (years). 

Sources
David Black & Geoffrey Bolton (eds), Biographical Register of members of the parliament of Western Australia, Volume 2 1930-2010 (Perth, 2011); Labor Year Book. 1973; Sydney Morning Herald, 24 February 1987, 26 February 1990 p 8; Voice, March 1976; ALP Year Book (NSW Branch) 1966; (Information in alphabetical list attached to paper files).