People Australia

William John (Duke) Wilson (1881-1947) labourer, iron worker, railway employee and trade unionist

Birth: 1 April 1881 at Edinburgh, Scotland, son of John Wilson (1854-1895), pastrycook, and Alice, née Brown (b.1859). Marriage: 2 January 1906 at the Anglican Church of the Holy Trinity at Erskineville, Sydney, New South Wales, to native-born Mary Ann (May) Illingworth (1882-1965?). They had one daughter and two sons. Death: 29 May 1947 at Sydney Hospital, late of Morgan Street, Petersham. Religion: Anglican. 

• Arrived in Sydney with his parents and sisters aboard the Port Victor on 8 July 1886.
• Joined the Ironworkers’ Assistants’ Union (later Federated Ironworkers’ Association (FIA)) in 1900. Transferred to the Sydney branch in 1911.
• Foundation member and delegate, Eveleigh Car and Wagon Shop, for several years. Member of Safety First Committee for many years.
• Active in a strike in 1917 and staffed the picket line continuously. One of last members re-employed after strike and presented with a gold medal by union member for services during strike.
• Transferred to Chullora Boiler Shop for 3 years where there were only 3 members. Became delegate, increased union membership to 110 members.
• Returned to Eveleigh Car and Wagon Shop and found that only 10 percent of members were financial which he increased to ninety-five percent by his retirement.
• Member of Sydney branch committee of management of the FIA from 1920 to 1940. Guardian for many years. Delegate to State Council (for many years until 1940). Delegate to Federal Council from 1927 to 1928 and for at least another five years at another time. Trustee for many years.
• Member of Labor Council of NSW. Member of Metal Trades. Retired in 1944. Made life member in 1945.
• Lived for many years in Darlington, where he was a member of the Darlington branch of the Australian Labor Party. Stood for election to Darlington municipal council in December 1922 and as State Labor candidate in February 1934.
• Cause of death: pyelitis and cystitis, embolic pneumonia, toxaemia and renal failure, suprapubic prostatectomy. 

Sources
Labor News, August 1944 p 7, July 1947.