People Australia

James (Jim) Shortell (1900-1984) merchant seaman, labourer, trade union official and public servant

Birth: 1900 at Bootle cum Linacre, Liverpool, Lancashire, England, son of James Shortell (1865-1916), a contract stevedore, born in Dublin, Ireland, and Susan, née McCann (1866-1941), born in Liverpool. Marriage: 1929 at Bexley, Sydney, New South Wales to Janet Miller (Jean) Smith (1901-1981). They had one daughter. Death: 21 May 1984 in his usual residence, Judd Street, Banksia, Sydney. Religion: Catholic? 

• Educated at school in Liverpool, England. Served in the merchant navy from an early age in World War I and after.
• Arrived in New South Wales about 1928. Employed with Colonial Sugar Refinery. Gained knowledge of ships' gear and secured promotion to ship rigger where he was placed in charge of the installation of the boilers and machinery at many of the CSR projects.
• Active in improving poor conditions of the Pyrmont Sugar Workers, including framing policies, and eventually became secretary of the Pyrmont Sugar Workers' Union.
• Joined Australian Labor Party in 1927 in Bexley area. Appointed president of ALP NSW branch in November 1954. Granted life membership ALP, NSW branch, in 1981, nominated by the Australian Glassworkers Union. Described as “one of the leading anti-Communist spokesmen in Sydney”.
• President NSW Labor Council from 1953 to 1959 — his term of five years and nine months was then a record. Member of Interstate Executive of Australian Council of Trade Unions.
• ACTU representative on Commission [the J. B. Tait Inquiry] appointed by the Federal Government in 1954 to enquire into the Stevedoring Industry in Australia.
• Appointed member by the Government on the Australian Stevedoring Industry commissioner Maritime Services Board of NSW from 1953 to 1956. Union representative on the Australian Stevedoring Industry Authority from 1956 to 1962 at least.
• Member of the Kogarah Returned Services League, the Rockdale RSL, and the Leagues Bowling and Recreation Club, Tempe.
• Cause of death: ischaemic heart disease, coronary arteries atherosclerosis (coroner’s report).

Sources
Foremen Stevedores Review, May 1963 p 51; Tom Sheridan, ‘The Tait inquiry and the 1956 Stevedoring Industry Act’, Australian Society for the study of Labour History (2001): https://labourhistorycanberra.org/2014/11/2001-conference-the-tait-inquiry-and-the-1956-stevedoring-industry-act/ ;information in alphabetical list attached to paper files of the BRALM (Noel Butlin Archives, ANU).