People Australia

Arthur McLeod Storey (1899-1967) shop assistant and trade union official 

Birth: 22 July 1899 in the Women’s Hospital, at Carlton, Melbourne, Victoria, illegitimate son of 17-year-old Louisa McLeod, born at Broadford, Victoria. He was probably adopted by Moses Tyson Storey (1862-1922), a labourer, born at Newton, Dalton in Furness, Lancashire, England, and his wife Caroline, née Perry (1860-1945), born at Bendigo, Victoria; the couple had married in August 1888, at Collingwood. Marriage: 4 April 1923 in St Margaret’s Anglican Church, Mildura, to Jessie May Gunn Gray (1901-1984), a machinist, born at Wentworth, New South Wales. They had one daughter. Death: 13 August 1967 in usual residence at Kerr Street, Blackburn, Victoria. Religion: Anglican. 

• Arthur was brought up at North Fitzroy, in Melbourne, with Moses and Caroline Storey and their family. The couple had probably adopted him: Caroline’s death notice in 1945 records her as “loving mother of Arthur, beloved mother-in-law of Jess”.
• He started work as a shop assistant in Melbourne. Moved to Mildura where he was a shop assistant for several years. He was secretary of St Margaret’s Anglican Church vestry, and a prominent official in the local branch of the Ancient Order of Foresters. He was also associated with the local branch of the Australian Labor Party, raising money for the Mildura District Hospital in 1926.
• Returned to Melbourne and worked at Crofts’ Stores Pty Ltd as an assistant and later became manager at West Brunswick and Moonee Ponds.
• Member of old Federated Grocers’ Union at 14 years of age. Represented the union on wages boards. Member of the State executive and was a branch conference delegate. Held dual position of president of metropolitan division and general president of Victorian-Tasmanian branch.
• Country organiser for the Victorian branch of the Shop Assistants and Warehouse Employees’ Federation of Australia from July 1937, he became assistant secretary and, from 1947 to 1963 at least, general secretary of the branch.
• Worked for shorter hours and involved in prosecutions against employers underpaying employees or causing individuals to work on public holidays.
• In 1962 built campaign against the practice of retailers using commercial travelers to do storemans’ work in retail stores.
• Worked with Blind Institute organising the building of new wing for blind babies.
• Cause of death: myocardial infarction (days) and arteriosclerosis (years).

Sources
Labor Call, 22 July 1937, p 13; Shop Assistant, April-June 1947, p 9 Vol. 22 No. 5; Shop Assistant of Australia, July-August 1962, p 1 Vol. 43 No. 5, July-August 1967, p 1 Vol. 45 No. 26; Merrifield Card Index, State Library of Victoria.