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Lawrence (Larry) Petrie (c. 1859–1901)

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Lawrence Petrie, n.d.

Lawrence Petrie, n.d.

Lawrence (or Laurence) (Larry) Petrie (De Petrie), also known as George Frederick Howard (1859?-1901) labourer, anarchist, gaoled agitator 

Birth: reputedly in 1859 in the Western Isles of Scotland. Marriage: date unknown, in Paraguay. Death: (accidentally) March 1901, Villarica, Paraguay. 

  • Casual labourer and anarchist agitator; handsome and dark-haired, with large moustache.
  • Was a friend of Chummy Fleming and became a founding member of Melbourne Anarchist Club (1886), a short-lived Melbourne branch of the Australian Socialist League (1889), and the Social Democratic League (1889). Also formed Melbourne branch of the Knights of Labour but was unsuccessful in attempts to launch a Six Hours Movement.
  • Fond of singing the 'Marseillaise' on Melbourne wharves.
  • Moved to Sydney in 1891. Became organiser-secretary of the General Labourers’ Union, establishing friendship with Tom Houghton, Rose Cadogan and W. G. Spence. Was involved in the shearers’ strike in the Riverina in 1891.
  • Ran a Labour Bureau in 1892 in the city centre. His arm was broken so badly in a fight with a non-unionist in a shearing shed near Wagga that it had to be amputated. Active in 1893 seamen’s strike.
  • Charged with causing explosion on SS Aramac, on its voyage to Brisbane in July 1893. Acquitted through lack of evidence after defence barrister uncovered police conspiracy to fabricate evidence, but had to endure ten weeks imprisonment and mistreatment beforehand.
  • After his release he travelled to Honolulu as a stowaway on a charter voyage of the New Australia Co-operative Settlement vessel Royal Tar in 1894. Worked his way to San Francisco, then to New Orleans, New York and Argentina, arriving in Cosme settlement, Paraguay, in 1896.
  • Became a valuable and popular member of Cosme community, but left in 1898 declaring leader William Lane a ‘madman’ and alleging that the settlement was atrophying under ‘Whips of dogma, stacks of selfishness, yards of words and absolutely no liberty’.
  • Went to the original New Australia settlement, but was disappointed and soon left.
  • Took a job as watchman at Villarica railway station. Died in an attempt to save a child from the path of an approaching train. His body was claimed by Rose Cadogan.

Sources
H. J. Gibbney & Ann G. Smith, A Biographical Register 1788-1939, vol 2 (Canberra, 1987); Gavin Souter, A Peculiar People (Sydney, 1968); Verity Burgmann, 1985 In Our Time: Socialism and the Rise of Labor, 1885-1905, (Sydney, 1985); Information on Labour Bureau from Peter Kirkpatrick; Bob James, Larry Petrie (1859-1901 – Australian Revolutionist? http://www.takver.com/history/petrie.htm

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Citation details

'Petrie, Lawrence (Larry) (c. 1859–1901)', People Australia, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, https://peopleaustralia.anu.edu.au/biography/petrie-lawrence-larry-34588/text43487, accessed 8 November 2024.

© Copyright People Australia, 2012

Lawrence Petrie, n.d.

Lawrence Petrie, n.d.

Life Summary [details]

Alternative Names
  • de Petrie, Laurence
  • Howard, George Frederick
Birth

c. 1859
Scotland

Death

March, 1901 (aged ~ 42)
Villarica, Paraguay

Cause of Death

train accident

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