People Australia

Don Taylor, 1945

Donald Alexander (Don) Taylor (1891-1988) school teacher and trade union official

Birth: 19 October 1891 at Adelong, New South Wales, son of Hezekiah Taylor (1852-1898), born in Cornwell, England, manager of the Anglo Australian Exploration at Mount Boppy, Cobar, and Annie Maria, née Fardon (1855-1932), born at Yass, NSW. Marriage: 7 April 1922 at Culcairn, NSW, to native-born Christina Considine Lawton (1892-1970). They had three daughters and three sons. Death: 2 March 1988 in his usual residence, Shalom Baptist Nursing Homes, Eastwood, NSW. 

• Grew up in Adelong. Father died in mines at Canbelego when he was young.
• Don left school at the age of 13. Took up odd jobs including timber-cutting. Returned to school after four years. Passed the Small Schools Entrance Exam and began a teaching career in 1910, becoming a temporary teacher in an unlined shack at Oberne near Tarcutta. Resigned at the end of 1913.
• Worked in jobs where he gained membership of the Amalgamated Railway and Tramway Service in 1914 (before the Australian Railways Union was formed), Australian Workers’ Union in Bombala and Cobar 1917 and the Barrier Branch of the Amalgamated Miners’ Association in 1918.
• Resumed teaching in 1920 when he gained permanency with the Education Deptartment. Country assistant, deputy headmaster and headmaster at Campbelltown, Ramsgate and Waverley schools. Council member including work as representative of Camden-Campbelltown Association and work with the Country Committee.
• Known as resourceful debater as member of Council of the Australian Teachers’ Federation (ATF) from about 1935. Prominent at Annual Conferences of ATF and later representative on Australian Council of Trade Unions Congresses. Appointed to metropolitan area and became executive member of ATF in 1943 and vice-president in 1944. He was deputy president from 1945 and president from 1955 until he retired in 1963.
• Federation member on Departmental Classifiers Committee for 10 years and the joint Departmental and Federation Education Committee. Negotiated on salaries agreements in 1946, 1949, 1952 and 1954. Representative on Primary Appointments Committee from 1946 to about 1953 and Promotions Lists Committee for several years.
• Active member of the Australian Labor Party from 1910.
• Cause of death: myocardial degeneration (2 years).

Sources
Education, 31 May 1943, 25 July 1944, 21 November 1945 p 6, 25 May 1946, 20 May 1947, 25 August 1947, 24 January 1948, 12 May 1949, 28 February 1950, 27 October 1950, 2 March 1955, 2 October 1957, 22 June 1960, 12 February 1964 pp 3-4, 26 February 1964, 25 March 1964, 8 April 1964, 21 April 1980, 14 July 1980.