Alex Macdonald (trade unionist)
Encyclopedia
Alexander "Alex" Macdonald (21 May 1910 – 18 August 1969) was an Australian ironworker, trade unionist and communist.
Macdonald was born at Greenock
in Renfrewshire
, Scotland
, to sawmill foreman Alexander Macdonald and Sybil, née Smith. Young Alex attended Homescroft School, but left at 13 to work in a shipyard. His father had remarried in 1920 following his mother's death in 1916, but the children did not get along well with their stepmother, and Alex and his sister Anna emigrated to Australia in 1925 (there was a delay of almost six weeks in Cape Town
following a worldwide seamen's strike).
Macdonald, who had come to Australia as part of the "Dreadnought" scheme, trained at Scheyville
for three months before working in the mid-west of New South Wales. He intended to return to Scotland via Western Australia
, but reports from his father of high unemployment prompted him to remain. He travelled to Queensland
in June 1932 at the height of the Great Depression
and took on seasonal work, becoming involved in the unemployed workers movement. He eventually relocated to Brisbane
.
Macdonald joined the Communist Party of Australia
around 1933 and was elected to the state committee in 1936, becoming Brisbane branch secretary in 1937. He stood for both state and federal office several times without success. On 11 August 1939 he married Molly Cassandra Neild, a nurse, at Brisbane. Macdonald worked as an ironworker at the Evans Deakin shipyard and was elected full-time secretary of the Queensland branch of the Federated Ironworkers Association of Australia (FIA) in 1943. He was also on the interstate executive of the Australian Council of Trade Unions
from 1949 to 1969, and was a supporter of Bob Hawke
.
Macdonald was defeated for the secretaryship of the FIA in 1951 but became secretary of the Queensland Trades and Labor Council (TLC) in 1952. A strong negotiator, Macdonald played a significant role in the Queensland meat strike of 1946, the shearers' stirke of 1956 and the Mount Isa conflict of 1964–65. He worked to admit university students to the Trades Hall and in 1968 represented the forty TLC-affiliated unions before the State Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Commission. He died of myocardial infarction
at Princess Alexandra Hospital
in South Brisbane in 1969, and was cremated. His funeral was attended by thousands of mourners.
Macdonald was born at Greenock
Greenock
Greenock is a town and administrative centre in the Inverclyde council area in United Kingdom, and a former burgh within the historic county of Renfrewshire, located in the west central Lowlands of Scotland...
in Renfrewshire
Renfrewshire
Renfrewshire is one of 32 council areas used for local government in Scotland. Located in the west central Lowlands, it is one of three council areas contained within the boundaries of the historic county of Renfrewshire, the others being Inverclyde to the west and East Renfrewshire to the east...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, to sawmill foreman Alexander Macdonald and Sybil, née Smith. Young Alex attended Homescroft School, but left at 13 to work in a shipyard. His father had remarried in 1920 following his mother's death in 1916, but the children did not get along well with their stepmother, and Alex and his sister Anna emigrated to Australia in 1925 (there was a delay of almost six weeks in Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
following a worldwide seamen's strike).
Macdonald, who had come to Australia as part of the "Dreadnought" scheme, trained at Scheyville
Scheyville, New South Wales
Scheyville is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Scheyville is located 54 kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district in the local government area of the City of Hawkesbury.-Parks:...
for three months before working in the mid-west of New South Wales. He intended to return to Scotland via Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
, but reports from his father of high unemployment prompted him to remain. He travelled to Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
in June 1932 at the height of the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
and took on seasonal work, becoming involved in the unemployed workers movement. He eventually relocated to Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
.
Macdonald joined the Communist Party of Australia
Communist Party of Australia
The Communist Party of Australia was founded in 1920 and dissolved in 1991; it was succeeded by the Socialist Party of Australia, which then renamed itself, becoming the current Communist Party of Australia. The CPA achieved its greatest political strength in the 1940s and faced an attempted...
around 1933 and was elected to the state committee in 1936, becoming Brisbane branch secretary in 1937. He stood for both state and federal office several times without success. On 11 August 1939 he married Molly Cassandra Neild, a nurse, at Brisbane. Macdonald worked as an ironworker at the Evans Deakin shipyard and was elected full-time secretary of the Queensland branch of the Federated Ironworkers Association of Australia (FIA) in 1943. He was also on the interstate executive of the Australian Council of Trade Unions
Australian Council of Trade Unions
The Australian Council of Trade Unions is the largest peak body representing workers in Australia. It is a national trade union centre of 46 affiliated unions.-History:The ACTU was formed in 1927 as the "Australian Council of Trade Unions"...
from 1949 to 1969, and was a supporter of Bob Hawke
Bob Hawke
Robert James Lee "Bob" Hawke AC GCL was the 23rd Prime Minister of Australia from March 1983 to December 1991 and therefore longest serving Australian Labor Party Prime Minister....
.
Macdonald was defeated for the secretaryship of the FIA in 1951 but became secretary of the Queensland Trades and Labor Council (TLC) in 1952. A strong negotiator, Macdonald played a significant role in the Queensland meat strike of 1946, the shearers' stirke of 1956 and the Mount Isa conflict of 1964–65. He worked to admit university students to the Trades Hall and in 1968 represented the forty TLC-affiliated unions before the State Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Commission. He died of myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
at Princess Alexandra Hospital
Princess Alexandra Hospital
The Princess Alexandra Hospital , is located on Ipswich Road in Woolloongabba, Australia. It is one of the major hospitals in Brisbane and is a teaching hospital of the University of Queensland. It is a tertiary level teaching hospital with all major medical and surgical specialities onsite except...
in South Brisbane in 1969, and was cremated. His funeral was attended by thousands of mourners.