People Australia

Francis William (Frank) Quigley (1887-1971) painter, railway employee and trade union official

Birth: 5 August 1887 at Launceston, Tasmania, son of John William Quigley (1834-1899), a storeman, born in London, England, and Louisa (Lucy), née Newman (1851-1910), born at Bothwell, Tasmania. Marriage: no record found.? 1 d. (+?) Death: 13 April 1971 in repatriation Hospital, Daw Park, Adelaide; usual residence Kapara Red Cross Home, Glenelg, Adelaide. Religion: Anglican. 

• His father drowned in the North Esk River, Launceston, Tasmania in 1899.
• Frank was a painter living in South Australia when he enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force on 30 December 1914. He was wounded in action serving with the 10th Battalion at Gallipoli on 10 May 1915 and later served in France. He returned to Australia in April 1919 and was discharged at Adelaide on 19 June 1919.
• In 1920 he was reported to have been residing at Murray Bridge, South Australia. In May 1928 he was a government foreman on the Barmera railway line at Renmark. He was a painter, living at Renmark, SA, in 1939-1943.
• Joined Australian Railways Union (ARU) in 1923. Became an active rank-and-file member and held various positions including secretary of traffic division; officer, SA branch.
• Organiser of ARU in 1941, replacing Reg Bishop (who enlisted in the Royal Australian Air Force and later became a Senator). Responsible for industrial and compensation work. Executive member of the Trades and Labour Council, including president.
• Active in the formation of the Trade Union Hire Purchase Society and continued interest until 1964 when he retired from union duties.
• In the 1920s he was an officer [KOM] of the Renmark Lodge of the Royal Ancient Order of Buffalos.
• It seems that Frank was a musician and a concert performer. A report of a musical competition at Burnie, Tasmania, in November 1909 listed one “Frank W. Quigley, Launceston” as a performing solo, bass or baritone. His service record shows that he was detached to the divisional concert party in France in November 1918. A report of his welcome home social in the local hall at Tailem Bend, South Australia, in November 1919, included him in the list of those who provided the musical programme. He was one of those who rendered a musical programme for Renmark Buffalo Lodge in August 1924, was director of the Model Band at Renmark in November 1925 and in January 1934 directed community singing at the Renmark Returned Services League Club, of which he was a member.
• Cause of death: hypostatic pneumonia (48 hours), left cerebral infarction (3 days) and generalised arteriosclerosis.

Sources
Railway Review, Sept-October 1971 p 8.