People Australia

Frederick Sear, 1917

Herald (Melbourne), 24 April 1917, p 3

Frederick William (Freddie) Sear (1880-1938) printer, railway employee and trade union official

Birth: 1880 at Wisbech, Cambridgeshire, England, son of Alfred Sear (1845-1897), carpenter, and Elizabeth Jane, née Herring (1845-1914). Marriages: (1) 1901 at Bendigo, Victoria, to Rosina George (1875-1914). They had one daughter and two sons. (2) 16 May 1917 at Victoria, to Alice Purdue (1888-1975). They had two daughters and one son. Death: 14 March 1938 at Alfred Street, Prahran, Melbourne. 

• Came to Victoria with his family about 1888.
• Gained work in printing branch of Railway Department about 1898.
• Joined Victorian Railways Union in 1910. Secretary of the Printing and Stationary Branch of the Victorian Railways Union from its inception. Represented Printing Division on executive in Victorian Railways Union from 1912 and served as vice-president and president. Sometime organiser of the VRU, he was general president 1917.
• Member of the Australian Labor Party. Selected ALP candidate for South Yarra Ward on Prahran City Council in August 1919.
• State secretary of the Australian Railways Union (ARU) Victorian branch, 1926-1938. Member of federal council for several years; branch delegate to federal council of ARU.
• Worked with Frank Hyett for the Railways Classification Board and was one of its first advocates. Played a role in furthering the claim of shunters for a 40-hour week and helped to prepare the case before the Railways Classification Board in 1938.
• Representative of ARU on Melbourne Trades Hall Council for many years and was also a trustee. Represented union at shareholders’ meeting of Labor Papers Ltd. Delegate to annual Australian Labor Party conferences. Secretary of Prahran Branch of ALP for three years at least. Executive member, Whippet Club. President, Hawthorn Campaign Committee.
• Died suddenly from heart failure while cleaning his car and was working till the last day even though he had been in indifferent health for some time before his death.
• Cause of death: arteriosclerosis with angina pectoris (6 months) and coronary thrombosis (minutes).

Sources
Labor Call (Melbourne), 27 August 1925 p 5, 24 April 1938, 17 July 1938 p 1; Advocate, 15 March 1938, p 2; Railways Union Gazette, 11 April 1938 pp 1, 4-5; E. Butler-Bowden, 1991 p 113; Australian Worker (Sydney), 19 May 1926, p 1.