People Australia

Harry Turner, in his railways uniform, n.d.

Henry Burton (Harry) Turner (1892-1960) railway guard, trade union official and political activist

Birth: 1892 at Junee, New South Wales, son of native-born parents Charles Henry Turner (1867-1932), engine driver, and Elizabeth, née Lloyd (1850-1930). Marriage: 1912 at Narrandera, NSW, to Florence Rosalie Blondinear (1887-1971), born at Hay, NSW, of French ancestry. They had four daughters and four sons. Death: 3 September 1960 in his home at Beverly Hills, Sydney. Religion: Anglican. 

• Joined NSW Railways at Narrandera in 1907. Representative at Narrandera for Junee branch of the New South Wales Railway Traffic Employees’ Association [later Amalgamated Railway and Tramway Service Association] from 1909 to 1913.
• Vice-president Junee branch 1914, president 1915. Assistant secretary of Werris Creek branch 1916-1917. Held office in Thirroul, Hornsby and Sydney No.1 Sub-Branches. Witness for union on first Wages Board 1913. Traffic representative on Strikers’ Defence Committee 1917.
• After State railway unions’ amalgamation in 1920, he was active in the Australian Railways Union. State council delegate, Metropolitan Traffic and delegate to the Australian Council of Trade Unions. President of the NSW branch of the ARU in 1937-1938. State returning officer 1945-1948.
• Elected employees’ representative of the Railway Service Superannuation Board in October 1940 and held office for 6 years at least.
• Union advocate and witness on Board of Reference for several years. Delegate from Thirroul sub-branch to inaugural meeting to form Trades and Labor Council in Wollongong and was elected to its first rules committee.
• Had joined and helped form the Werris Creek Branch of the Australian Labor Party in 1918. Active in the ALP branches of Austinmer, Thirroul, Hornsby, Marrickville, Merrylands and Narwee.
• In June 1948 he was a guard on the South West Mail rain which derailed seven miles from Harden, killing four passengers, Jane Matilda Burnes (64), Arthur Albert Churchin (60), Keith Shuttleworth (24) and Stanley Benjamin Walsh (25). After Harry felt the guards van “float through the air” and land on its side, he stopped an oncoming engine from colliding with the crash “by using the broken glass of his signalling lamp with lighted matches behind it”.
• Delegate to Banks ALP Federal electorate council and campaign director for Dominic Eric Costa, member of the House of Representatives, in Federal elections about 1955. Delegate to East Hills State electorate council and campaign director for Robert Joseph (Joe) Kelly in State election, mid-1950s.
• Was a Labor Party ‘Soap Box Orator’ for thirty years. Retired from union in Sydney in 1952.
• Cause of death: pneumonia (6 days) and congestive cardiac failure (8 years).

Sources
Railroad, 12 December 1952 p 6, 30 March 1956, p 6.