People Australia

William Joseph Quantrill (1875-1965) railway employee, trade union official and factory inspector

Birth: 1875 at Isleham, Cambridgeshire, England, son of Joseph William Quantrill (1848-1935), labourer, and his second wife Alice Elizabeth, née Flowers (1846-1922). Marriage: 10 December 1899 at Christ Church, Greenwich, London, England, to Cordelia Margaret Carr (1879-1964). They had two sons. Death: 18 June 1965 in a convalescent home at Kogarah, Sydney, New South Wales; usual residence Veno Street, Heathcote, Sydney. Religion: Anglican. 

• Was a machine planer living at Greenwich, London, in 1901.
• Arrived in Brisbane, Queensland with his wife aboard the steamer Norseman on 5 August 1910.
• Assisted in the formation of the Amalgamated Society of Engineers (ASE) branch in Toowoomba in 1910-1912. Assisted in gaining a seat for Labor in State elections.
• Forced to leave Toowoomba because of his union activities at Toowoomba Foundry. Gained work at Rockhampton and became president of the ASE Rockhampton, 1912. Dismissed for union activities and forced to leave Qld due to the threat of penalising trade union activists under the then newly-passed 'Industrial Peace Act' by the Denham Government.
• Gained work in Cobar, New South Wales, and became president of the local engineers branch and chairman of disputes committee in minefields in 1912-1913. Assisted S. Fern, Labor member for Cobar, to retain his seat.
• Gained work at the Commonwealth Portland Cement in 1914 and became president of the Portland Branch of the ASE and delegate to Lithgow Electoral Council.
• Later in 1914 was appointed as a fitter in the Government Dockyards at Walsh Island in Newcastle and in 1916 as foreman engineer of Walsh Island. Was ASE district secretary in 1914-1916 — retired from position when he was appointed machine shop foreman, with a social evening in his honour and the presentation of a gold watch.
• Part-time organiser for engineers; chairman of Iron Trades Council; chairman of political committee organisers for Labor Party; conducted 'Industrial Powers Referendum’; secretary of Newcastle ALP electoral council.
• In April 1919 was elected Labor alderman on Stockton Municipal Council. Appointed Engineer in Charge at Walsh Island for several years but later dismissed because of union and/or political activities. Was appointed an inspector of the Department of Labour and Industry in 1926 and moved to Sydney in 1926.
• Was president of Moorefield ALP branch for eight years. President of Kogarah electoral council. Delegate to Kogarah and Barton Council and joint campaign director for the successful H. V. Evatt campaign for Barton. Commissioned justice of the peace.
• On outbreak of World War II in 1939 was appointed to assist the Minister for Munitions in the staffing of munitions factories for the duration of the war. Retired due to ill-health.
• President of retired members of Amalgamated Engineering Union [formerly the ASE] from 1949 to 1951 when he stepped down due to ill-health.
• Cause of death: myocardial degeneration (coronial report).

Sources
Monthly Journal, July 1965; ASE AC Monthly Report, September 1916, pp 33-35.