People Australia

Victor Milton Potticary (1932-2023) printer, trade union official and Communist

Birth: 11 June 1932 at Solomontown, Port Pirie, South Australia, son of John Philip Potticary (1892-1937), born at Port Wakefield, SA — one of 12 children), a farmer and railway worker, and Mary Elizabeth, née Rowe (1895-1972), born at Lower Mitcham, SA. Marriage: 1953 at Adelaide to Audrey Shorne (1923-2021), born at Frome, SA. They had one son. Death: 5 July 2023 at Cowandilla, SA. 

• After his father’s death when Vic was aged 4, he was brought up by his mother in very impoverished circumstances. He attended Adelaide High School and the School of Graphic Arts studying to be a compositor in the printing trade.
• He worked at Cooperative Press and Summit Press which printed publications of the Communist Party of Australia. Later he worked at Angaston Leader, Griffin Press, Messenger Newspapers, Advertiser, Delmont Photo-Mechanix, and StatePrint.
• Joined the Australian Labor Party in 1980 and campaigned for them. Was on strike Committees at State Print and the Advertiser. Was Secretary of Retired Union Members Association, Executive Member of Printing and Kindred Industries Union and Amalgamated Metal Workers Union (AMWU) Retired Members.
• Addressed union meetings at StatePrint for Public Service Association (PSA). Attended several state union conferences representing PSA.
• Contributed to the production of several books: Defence not Defiance and Survival in our Own Land.
• Received an award of merit from the AMWU.