People Australia

Albert Harry Smethurst (1868-1935) reeler, and trade union official 

Birth: 19 August 1868 at Christ Church, Ashton-under-Lyne, Manchester, Lancashire, England, son of James Henry Smethurst (1840-c.1907), yarn printer, and Mary, née Jagger (1842-c.1890), a cotton weaver. Marriage: 31 August 1892 at the parish church of St John, Oldham, to Hannah Jane Whiteley (1859-). Death: 11 November 1935 at Fylde, Lancashire, England. 

• Brought up at Oldham, Lancashire. Completed an apprenticeship as an iron turner. Became Oldham district secretary of the Amalgamated Society of Engineers.
• Assistant general secretary of the Amalgamated Engineering Union from 1913 to 1921, including assistant secretary from 1915. “Did particularly good work in shepherding the amalgamation scheme”, which resulted in the ASE joining with nine other unions to form the Amalgamated Engineering Union in 1920.
• Smethurst was elected to succeed Tom Mann as general secretary of the AEU in May 1921. Declared elected when votes from Australia, South Africa and New Zealand were outstanding, but could not affect the result.
• Appointed CBE on 3 June 1932. Held office until July 1933 when he retired.
• Represented union on visits to Canada and the United States of America.
• Not known to have come to Australia.

Sources
AEU Monthly Journal and Report, February 1936, p 18.