People Australia

John Smith (1860-1946) blacksmith, engineer and trade union official

Birth: 1860 at Edinburgh, Scotland, son of Alexander Campbell Smith, engineer, and Mary Anne, née Taylor. Marriages: (1) 22 April 1889 at the Wesley Church, Melbourne, Victoria, to Annie Dunn (1864-1927). They had two sons. (2) 21 January 1929 at Dorcas Street Presbyterian Manse, Melbourne, to Janet Gloag (1875-1940), born at Muthill, Perthshire, Scotland. They had no children. Death: 11 March 1946 in his son’s residence at Gibbs Street, Balacalava, Melbourne. Religion: probably Presbyterian. 

• Arrived in Australia as a child with his parents about 1862. Educated at Smith’s School (later known as Albert Park State School) from the day it opened until he commenced work at the age of 12 at Sands & McDougalls, printers.
• Was apprenticed blacksmith at Fulton’s Foundry. Transferred to Langlands Foundry, South Melbourne. Employed as a journeyman blacksmith in the Victorian Railways, at Newport Shops, from 1889.
• As secretary of the Australasian Council of the Amalgamated Society of Engineers (ASE), he represented Australia as delegate to the ASE triennial meeting in London, England, in April 1907. Was presented with substantial travelling equipment by Tom Mann at a smoke social in March. He returned home in November 1907, having travelled extensively in Britain and visited numerous engineering establishments.
• In 1918 he became chairman, based in Sydney, of the Commonwealth Council, of the ASE (from 1921 Amalgamated Engineering Union). Retired in 1922 and returned to Melbourne.
• Was sometime councillor, held district offices in and was secretary of the Melbourne branch of the AEU.
• Commissioned justice of the peace for the Central Bailiwick of Victoria 1927.
• Cause of death: gastric carcinoma (5 months).

Sources
AEU CC Monthly Report, December 1927; AEU Silver Jubilee Souvenir, 1945 pp.28, 78.