People Australia

Bert Shard, 1965 [detail]

National Archives of Australia, A12111:1/1965/19/30

Albert James (Bert) Shard (1902-1991) bread carter, trade union official and parliamentarian

Birth: 13 August 1902 at Maldon, Victoria, son of Henry Walter Shard (1866-1928) and Charlotte Warren (Lot), née Swift (1870-1953). Both parents had been born in Victoria. Marriage: 4 June 1927 at Adelaide, South Australia, to native-born Muriel Mavis Whiting (1909-2006). They had two sons. Death: 29 November 1991 at Adelaide, SA. Religion: Anglican. 

• Educated at Mildura State School and Broken Hill High. Worked as a baker's assistant and as a breadcarter.
• Was secretary of the Breadcarters' Union, SA branch, from 1936 to 1949. Secretary of the SA Trades and Labor Council in 1949-1956.
• President of SA branch of the Australian Labor Party 1954. Elected member of the House of Assembly for Prospect 29 April 1944; was defeated on 7 March 1947.
• Labor member of the Legislative Council, Central No. 1, from 15 Feburary 1956 to 11 July 1975.
• Was Chief Secretary and Minister for Health in 1965-1968 and 1970-1973.
• Appointed to the council of the University of Adelaide in 1946. Was a Commander Brother of the Order of St John [CAStJ]. Appointed Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) for service to government in January 1977.

Sources
Howard Coxon, John Playford and Robert Reid, Biographical Register of the South Australian Parliament 1857-1957 (Adelaide, 1985).