People Australia

William Frederick  (Bill or Billy) Rowe (1869-1946) engine driver and trade union official

Birth: 11 July 1869 at St Keverne, South-west of Cornwall, England, son of William Richard Roskilly Rowe (1831-1893), master carpenter, and Mary Rule, née Bolitho (1834-1921). Marriage: 1 January 1896 at Narridy, South Australia, to native-born Edith Lavinnia, née Rowe (1896-1939). They had one daughter and three sons. Death: 9 December 1946 in his usual residence at Newton Lane, Broken Hill, New South Wales. Religion: Salvation Army, buried in Methodist cemetery. 

• Arrived in South Australia about 1879. Educated at Whinham’s College, Adelaide.
• Moved to Broken Hill about 1890. Employed as a miner at the Proprietary mine. Shop steward Workers’ Industrial Union of Australia in 1890-1893. Staffed picket line during 1892 strike.
• Blacklisted along line of lode as a result of supporting the strike. Later gained mining work again. Lost job in 1893 due to contracting gastric fever and a lead complaint.
• Clearance from Amalgamated Mining Association which marked him as ‘loyal’. Gained work covered by Federated Engine Drivers’ and Firemen’s Association of Australasia (FED&FA) in 1897. Represented local branch FED&FA at conference in Melbourne 1907. FED&FA delegate to Australian Labor Party and Barrier Industrial Council.
• Established branch of FED&FA at Cobar, NSW. Later Cobar, Port Pirie and Broken Hill were amalgamated into one district of FED&FA and he was elected the first president of the district. Member, Federal Committee of Management. Federal organiser WA, SA and Broken Hill for one year; general president for two years upon formation of the nationally-based Engine Drivers’ Federation. Auditor, Engine Drivers’ Federation, until 1912 at least.
• Alderman, Broken Hill City Council, for thirteen years.
• Australian Labour Federation, 1904-1907. Barrier Labor Federation (BLF) from 1912; vice-president and president of BLF. Secretary of Trades’ Hall Trust during the building of the hall.
• Barrier delegate to Sydney Eight Hours’ celebration. President of first Eight Hours’ Committee that established the Art Union.
• Associated with Barrier Truth from its inception as printer and publisher. Performed yeoman service for Barrier Daily Truth. Published pamphlet in Barrier Daily Truth 'War, War and War'.
• First Labor representative on Hospital Board. Member of West Club and football enthusiast. Enjoyed billiards and running a mile distance.
• Retired because of ill-health from the Public Works Department in October 1938 after 23 years’ service and workmates presented him with a reading lamp and a fountain pen.
• Occupation on death certificate given as “filtration attendant”. Cause of death: syncope, chronic myocarditis and arteriosclerosis.

Sources
Labor Advocate, 24 Feb. 1912; Merrifield Card Index, State Library of Victoria; Barrier Daily Truth, (Broken Hill) 1 September 1933, 1 December 1934.