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Labourer

Occupation - Labourer
Coghlan, Thomas
Anderson, Joe
Bruhn, Norman
Carlisle, Walter Thomas
Cooper, William
Epplestone, Harry
Flanagan, James Everard
Flanagan, Mervyn Ambrose Leslie
Furlong, George
Gow, Keith
Hibbs, Peter
Hilton, Joseph
Howard, Edward Charles
Howard, Sydney
Hutchinson, Alfred
Keegan, Thomas
Leong, Albert
Levy, Jock
McIntosh, Hector McDonald
McPhee, Neil Campbell
Montgomery, Charles
Newling, Arthur Sidney
Nielsen, Herman
Pearson, John
Ralph, Luke
Scoles, John
Seland, James
Wheeler, Samuel
Williams, Henry
Williams, Thomas
Wong, Fred

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Labourer

Coghlan, Thomas

Irish born plasterer whose children were highly successful in public life.

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Anderson, Joe

Aboriginal activist and leader known as King Burraga, who lived at Salt Pan Creek on the Georges River. In 1933 he made a film with Cinesound that was shown around the country, asking for recognition of Aboriginal people and representation in Federal Parliament:

'All the black man wants is representation in federal parliament. There is plenty of fish in the river for us all and land to grow all we want.'

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Bruhn, Norman

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Dockworker, gunman, thief, stand-over man and pimp who became known for his garroting skills. He served in the 70th Infantry, Citizen Military Forces and as a private in the 6th Battalion, 2nd Reinforcement of the Australian Imperial Force. He was allegedly forced to leave Melbourne by rival Squizzy Taylor and became Nellie Cameron's lover and pimp while in Sydney. He was gunned down in Charlotte Lane, Darlinghurst and died at Sydney Hospital the following morning, refusing to name his killer to police.

Carlisle, Walter Thomas

Labourer who enlisted as a private in the 13th Reinforcement, 19th Battalion and proceeded to France in November 1916. In July 1917, he was admitted to hospital in Le Havre for venereal disease for a total of 65 days. In October 1917, he was admitted to hospital with an injury to his wrist before he contracted 'trench fever' and was transferred to England. He proceeded back to Le Havre and was wounded in action on 5 July 1918, suffering a severe shrapnel wound to his left arm. After convalescing in England he was returned to Australia.

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Cooper, William

Aboriginal leader forcibly retained doing rural labour for most of his life before adult literacy classes lead to his campaign seeking direct representation in parliament, enfranchisement and land rights. He also established National Aborigines Day which was first held in 1940.

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Epplestone, Harry

Early resident of West Pymble.

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Flanagan, James Everard

Striker during the Great Strike 1917. He and his brother Merv Flanagan were on Bridge Road, Camperdown on August 30 1917 with other strikers when Merv was shot and killed by strike-breaker Reginald Wearne after an altercation. He and Henry Williams, who had also been shot by Wearne, were sentenced to three months hard labour for 'having used violence with intent to prevent Wearne from working at his lawful occupation'. Charges against Wearne, the brother of the Member for Namoi WE Wearne, were dismissed by a Coroners Court.

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Flanagan, Mervyn Ambrose Leslie

Carter and father of four who was murdered in Camperdown during the Great Strike in 1917 by strike-breaker Reginald Warne. Amid great controversy and public tension, a coroner's court found that Wearne had acted in self defence and charges were dropped without him facing trial. Thousands of people lined the streets during Flanagan's funeral.

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Furlong, George

Labourer who was briefly married to the notorious petty thief and sly-grog seller, Iris Webber.

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Gow, Keith

Wharf labourer who joined the WWF film unit to highlight the poor working conditions on the wharves.

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Hibbs, Peter

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First Fleet seaman who played a role in the exploration of Tasmania and Australia's eastern seaboard. He allegedly sailed with Captain James Cook on HMB Endeavour and was credited in the Windsor and Richmond Gazette of 1890 as being the second Englishman after Sir Joseph Banks to step ashore at Botany Bay in 1770. However, no primary source material has been found to confirm this. Hibbs was part of the crew during the wreck of HMS Sirius on its way to Norfolk Island. While at Norfolk Island his wife arrived aboard Surprize with her baby girl, whom they raised as their own.

Hilton, Joseph

Convict who became a basketmaker and hired boats on the Cooks River dam but is best remembered as the pugnacious individual who offered himself, his dog or his wife, to fight anyone in the colony.

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Howard, Edward Charles

Son of Robert Rice Howard, the NSW hangman in the late 19th century, and his wife Jane.

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Howard, Sydney

Sydney, or Sidney, Howard was the son of the late 19th century NSW hangman Robert Rice Howard and his wife Jane.

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Hutchinson, Alfred

Coal lumper who fought for better wages and conditions for union members for over 25 years.

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Keegan, Thomas

Miner represented the labour movement at state level for 25 years.

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Leong, Albert

Chinese waterside worker.

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Levy, Jock

Wharf labourer who brought his film and theatre experience to union films of workers rights and conditions.

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McIntosh, Hector McDonald

Labourer who enlisted as a private in the 11th Reinforcement, 3rd Battalion in July 1915. He served in Egypt then France in 1916 before gunshot wounds and gassing saw him transferred to England where he died.

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McPhee, Neil Campbell

Labourer who enlisted in the 7th Reinforcement, 45th Battalion and proceeded to Etaples, France in March 1917. On 23 September, he was admitted to hospital in France for 'debility' and a few days later for 'gastric ulcer'. He returned to Australia and was discharged as medically unfit with 'permanent disability'.

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Montgomery, Charles

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Professional criminal and burglar who was hanged after his participation in the Bridge Street Affray in 1894. He had only recently arrived in Sydney from Melbourne where he had served time in Pentridge Prison. 

Newling, Arthur Sidney

Labourer who enlisted in the B Company, 18th Battalion. In Gallipoli he took part in the assault at Hill 60 in August 1915 before he was sent to the Western Front in France. In July 1916 he suffered a gunshot wound to his right leg and embarked for England suffering from 'shell shock'. In November he was charged with absence without leave (AWL) and then overstaying his leave, receiving 10 days' confinement to barracks. He was sent to Camiers, France in May 1917 and was wounded in action in August 1918. In February 1919 he was punished for AWL and in March he was discharged from hospital, having suffered pyrexia (possibly trench fever).

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Nielsen, Herman

Coal lumper who made his living at Millers Point but returned to his family at Willoughby at the end of the working week.

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Pearson, John

Coal lumper who suffered horrific injuries working on the docks.

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Ralph, Luke

Labourer who was granted land at Lilyfield in 1821. His grant became part of the Garryowen estate.

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Scoles, John

Carter and labourer who was resident in Harrington Street in the 1860s and 1870s.

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Seland, James

Coal lumper and planksman who worked at Sydney wharves. He had arrived in Sydney in 1889 from Norway and lived in the Rocks with his family. He was naturalised in October 1903, with one of his references provided by another coal lumper Herman Nielsen. Seland died on 3 November 1905 after being hit by a basket and knocked into the hold of the steamship Kanowna while at work loading coal on 23 October. His fifth child had been been born on 22 October, the night before the accident.     

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Wheeler, Samuel

Sawyer who worked in the Camden area in the 1880s.

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Williams, Henry

Carter and participant in the Great Strike 1917 who was shot by strike-breaker Reginald Wearne on Bridge Road, Camperdown on 30 August 1917. Merv Flanagan was shot and killed by Wearne in the same incident. Flanagan's brother, James, and Williams were both charged with 'using violence with intent to prevent Wearne from following his lawful occupation' and sentenced to three months hard time. Charges against Wearne, the brother of WE Wearne, then the Member for Namoi, were dismissed by a Coroners Court.

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Williams, Thomas

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Professional criminal and burglar who was hanged after his participation in the Bridge Street Affray in 1894. He had only recently arrived in Sydney from Melbourne where he had served time in Pentridge Prison.

Wong, Fred

Chinese trade unionist who supported the boycotts of Japan in the 1930s and 1940s.

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