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Walter (Wally) Settle (1885–1945)

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Walter (Wally) Settle (1885-1945) telephone mechanic and trade union official 

Birth: 1885 at Fairy Meadow (now a suburb of Wollongong), New South Wales, son of Lancashire (England)-born parents Walter Settle (1861-1938), from Tottering Temple, Horwich, storekeeper, and Alice, née Greenhalgh (1863-1914), a cotton weaver, from Blackrod. Marriage: 26 November 1915 at Greenwich, Sydney, NSW, to Margaret Dan (1887-1963). They had two daughters and two sons. Death: 9 May 1945 in his residence at Eastern Valley Way, Northbridge, Sydney. Religion: Anglican. 

  • Parents remained in the NSW south coast until about 1907 when his father moved to Hurstville where he ran a grocery shop until 1913.
  • Wally obtained employment in the Postmaster General’s Department. Transferred from junior instrument fitter, Electrical Engineers Branch (Mechanical) to telephone attendant, in Sydney in April 1909. In 1913 he was a telephone inspector. Reached Grade 5 supervising technician in the PMG at the time of his death.
  • By 1913 he had moved Northbridge, Sydney, where he lived for most of his life. Following his mother’s death, his father lived with him and his family.
  • He was a committee member of the NSW branch of the Australian Postal Electricians’ Union from 1914 to 1919. Acting secretary of NSW branch in 1920, he was secretary of NSW branch from 1921 to 1935 (resigned).
  • Continued as executive member of the NSW branch from 1935 and became vice-president, 1936-1943.
  • Delegate of NSW branch to interstate conferences. Federal president from 1923 to 1928.
  • Court Official in 1922-1943. Regularly appeared in association cases before the Public Service Arbitrator. Granted life membership in 1930.
  • Cause of death: cerebral haemorrhage (1/4 hour) and hyperpiesia (5 years).
  • Both his sons — Flight Lieutenant Albert Alexander (Alec) Settle (1917-1997), a clerk, and Corporal Walter John (Jack) Settle (1922-2014), telephone mechanic, served in the Royal Australian Air Force during World War II.

Sources
Tele-technician, May 1945 p 59.

Citation details

'Settle, Walter (Wally) (1885–1945)', People Australia, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, https://peopleaustralia.anu.edu.au/biography/settle-walter-wally-34944/text44051, accessed 27 April 2025.

© Copyright People Australia, 2012

Life Summary [details]

Birth

1885
Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia

Death

9 May, 1945 (aged ~ 60)
Northbridge, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Cause of Death

brain hemorrhage

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