People Australia

Elizabeth Mary (Lizzie) O’Sullivan, later McCormack (1889-1961) telephonist, trade union official and Labor activist

Birth: 1889 at Nymagee, New South Wales, eldest child of James O’Sullivan (or Sullivan) (1863-1934), a school teacher, born at Dromanarrigle, Cork, Ireland, and Editha, née Downing (1870-1930), born at Helston, Cornwall, England. Marriage: 1939 at Annandale to James McCormack (1875-1952), a retired hotelkeeper and businessman, born at Cumnock, NSW. Death: 28 November 1961 in hospital at Burwood, Sydney; usual residence Barbara Street, Fairfield, Sydney. Religion: Catholic. 

• Her father had arrived in NSW as an unassisted immigrant on 13 April 1881, described in the ship’s manifest as a miner — as were most other steerage passengers — aboard the Tarana, Her mother had arrived with her parents and older sister aboard the Samuel Plimsoll on 27 August 1877.
• Lizzie was described as a telephonist, living at Lilyfield in the 1913 electoral roll. Later she lived with her parents and other family members at View Street, Annandale, and continued to work as a telephonist.
• She was a member of the Annandale branch of the Australian Labor Party in the 1920s and its delegate to the Women’s Central Organising Committee. In 1922 she was elected to the executive of the NSW ALP.
• Was founder of Commonwealth Telephone Officers’ Association and its first secretary.
• After her marriage, to widower James McCormack who had two adult children, she retired and became a loved stepmother to his son and daughter and fond aunt of her siblings’ children. From February 1957 to June 1960 she was a director of the Fairfield District Hospital.
• An extremely active member of the Fairfield branch of the ALP for nine years, she was a delegate to the women’s conference and “worked at the tables every election. “Mrs Mack” was president of the Ladies Auxiliary Committee of Fairfield and District Agricultural and Horticultural Society from its inception until her death.
• Cause of death: carcinoma of ovary.

Sources
Information from S. Tracey 1997; death notice, Sydney Morning Herald, 30 November 1961, p 20.