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Andrew Rudham Percy Trenfield (1883–1959)

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Andrew Rudham Percy (Percy or 'Trennie') Trenfield (1883-1959) blacksmith, miner, railway employee and trade union official 

Birth: 14 October 1883 at Ravenswood, Queensland, ninth of fourteen children of Andrew Percy Trenfield (1841-1895), a butcher, born at Fladbury, Worcestershire, England, and Queensland-born Elizabeth, née Fanning (1857-1925). Marriage: 23 October 1906 at Ravenswood to Margaret Mary Little (1882-1968), born at Dunscore, Dumfries shire, Scotland. They had two daughters and one son. Death: 19 April 1959 in his usual residence at Mulgrave Road, Cairns. Religion: Catholic. 

  • After a limited schooling, he started work in his father’s butchery at 9 years of age. Was working as a blacksmith at Ravenswood in 1908. Later worked as a miner, railway fettler and labourer.
  • At forefront of many of the industrial disputes in North Queensland between 1911 and 1925.
  • Member of strike committee of Chillagoe smelters strike, North Queensland. Secretary, miners’ strike committee at Ravenswood, North Queensland in 1911 which was a strike which lasted eight months.
  • Leader of successful construction workers’ strike in 1914 where a group protested at the Warden’s office in Cloncurry and demanded that operations be resumed on the Mt Cuthbert Railway link to provide work for the unemployed railway construction workers.
  • Prominent in railway strike in 1925, lock-out in 1927, ‘Black’ ore railway strike in 1931 and a railway strike in 1948 which lasted 9 weeks.
  • Foundation member of Workers’ Political Organization (WPO) at Ravenswood, and secretary and president alternatively from 1913 to 1941. Early in his term in office the WPO merged into the Australian Labor Party. He was a founder of the Cloncurry branch of the ALP and was president in 1939. Contested Labor pre-selection for the State seat of Carpentaria in February 1941.
  • Moved to Cairns in 1941 and was prominent in the ALP. Well-known for political debating skills.
  • Cause of death: carcinoma of oesophagus (2 years).

Sources
Advocate, 15 June 1959 p 7.

Citation details

'Trenfield, Andrew Rudham Percy (1883–1959)', People Australia, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, https://peopleaustralia.anu.edu.au/biography/trenfield-andrew-rudham-percy-35046/text44189, accessed 26 April 2025.

© Copyright People Australia, 2012

Life Summary [details]

Birth

14 October, 1883
Ravenswood, Queensland, Australia

Death

19 April, 1959 (aged 75)
Cairns, Queensland, Australia

Cause of Death

cancer (oesophageal)

Cultural Heritage

Includes subject's nationality; their parents' nationality; the countries in which they spent a significant part of their childhood, and their self-identity.

Religious Influence

Includes the religion in which subjects were raised, have chosen themselves, attendance at religious schools and/or religious funeral rites; Atheism and Agnosticism have been included.

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