People Australia

Nellie Simpson, in England, 1917

Courtesy of Nina Thomasson

Nellie Simpson (1904-2000) book-keeper, trade unionist and Labor activist

Birth: 8 October 1904 at Turton, Lancashire, England, daughter of Thomas Simpson (1878-1930), cotton spinner, and Nina May Sidney, née Davies (c.1879-1962). Unmarried. Death: 18 July 2000 at Gracemere Gardens hostel, Queensland. Religion: Anglican/Agnostic. 

• Worked at Tootal Broadhurst & Lees, Bolton, joining Cotton Operatives’ Trade Union; joined Independent Labor Party aged 18.
• Move to Australia in 1928, joining her younger brother at ‘Aramac’ station, near Rockhampton, Queensland. Worked as a cook and bottle washer for 3 months, left station and went to Rockhampton to housekeep for Nurse Shepherd for 12 months; moved to her brothers' pineapple and banana farm, but the farm was not viable.
• Moved to Sydney for first time, housekeeping for Cooper Engineering 1938; returned to Queensland on her brother’s death. Housekeeping for family in Rockhampton; then moved to ‘Portland Downs’, Longreach, working as a cook.
• Returned to Sydney about 1941, securing work as a cook at Darling Point with Mrs Thatcher (wife of a timber-merchan partner in Thatcher and Oberg Ltd). Studied shorthand and typing on her one day a week off, attended Hemingway and Robertson Commercial College.
• Employed as a bookkeeper at Readymix, where she was required to work four nights per week until 9 pm on unpaid overtime; then was a bookkeeper at Plasto's Hotel, Hyde Park, in 1942-1944. Joined the Darlinghurst branch of the Australian Labor Party in 1943. Prices inspector with male grading in Customs Dept Prices Commission, 1944-1949.
• Joined Federated Clerks’ Union 1944. Joined Australia Peace Council 1949 and was immediately expelled from the ALP. Joined Union of Australian Women after meeting Jessie Street at a Darlinghurst ALP Branch meeting; campaigned for Street when she stood for the Federal seat of Wentworth.
• At Jessie Street’s suggestion she became secretary of the Peace Council, 1949-1951; raised salary by taking collections at meetings. Under security surveillance. Had a nervous breakdown and returned to Queensland. Back in Sydney, working as cleaner/caretaker in tenement in Darling Point, in 1952-1954.
• In 1954 returned to the ALP becoming a member of Double Bay branch. From 1954 to 1973 she was records officer for the NSW Public Service Association. She joined the PSA 1954 whilst retaining her membership of the FCU until about 1957; after she commenced work at PSA, opponents in the FCU alleged that as secretary of the Peace Movement she was a Communist sympathiser. Ran unsuccessfully in FCU ballot about 1957.
• In 1958 ran for preselection for Paddington Waverley against Bill Ferguson. Stood for Senate preselection, 1960, on left wing ticket headed by Lionel Murphy but failed after NSW ALP General Secretary, Bill Colbourne, allegedly advised preselectors to place her last.
• In 1963 she stood for Wentworth at Lionel Murphy's request. Joined Bondi Branch of the ALP in 1967. In 1969 she became a member of the ALP executive on the Steering Committee ticket.
• An effective speaker with a strong Lancashire accent, she spoke about equal pay at various conferences, including those of the Labor Women's Central Organising Committee and the UAW conference. Also spoke on 2KY.
• Cause of death: kidney failure. 

Sources
History of NSW Labor Women's Committee, Pamela Allan, BA (Hons) thesis, Sydney University, 1973; Interviews with N. Simpson, 1979 & 1997.