People Australia

Schofield, Lawrence Edward (Laurie) 1908-1969) ironworker, trade union official and parliamentarian 

Birth: 12 December 1908 at Tamworth, New South Wales, son of William Edward Schofield (1868-1933), a grocer, born at Nundle, NSW, of English descent, and native-born Mandeline, née Bizant (1868-1958), whose father was born at Spalato, Dalmatia (then in Austria-Hungary, later known as Split, in Croatia). Marriage: 6 June 1931 at Merewether, Newcastle, NSW, to Ilma Margaret Josephine Scott (1906-2002), born at Hamilton, Newcastle. They had one daughter and one son. Death: 14 June 1969 in his residence at Jenner Parade, Merewether, Newcastle, NSW. Religion: Catholic. 

• Educated at Dominican Convent, Tamworth, and after he moved to Newcastle with his family in 1917, at the Sacred Heart school, Hamilton.
• Worked as a shop assistant with Lindstrom Brothers, grocers, Newcastle, from 1919 to 1939. Was a mill operator at John Lysaghts, Mayfield, from 1939 to 1949.
• Elected secretary of Federated Ironworkers’ Association (FIA), Newcastle branch, from 30 December 1949 until 1967 (retired). Took a leading role in campaign to oust Communist leaders of FIA.
• Member of FIA Newcastle branch committee, national conference and national council. FIA delegate to the International Metal Federation Conference in Rome in 1961.
• Member of the Australian Labor Party State executive from 1957 to 1967.
• Indirectly elected ALP member of the NSW Legislative Council from 23 April 1967. Held the seat until his death.
• Director of Royal Newcastle hospital in 1966-1969.
• Cause of death: ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm (coroner’s finding).

Sources
Heather Radi, Peter Spearritt & Elizabeth Hinton (eds), Biographical Register of the NSW Parliament 1901-1970 (Canberra, 1979); Labor News, July 1967; Newcastle Morning Herald, 17 June 1969.