Labour Australia

John Patrick (Jack) Devereux (1909-1992) turner and trade union official

Birth: 1 June 1909 at Longreach, Queensland, son of John Devereux (1880-1967), a shearer, born in South Australia, and Queensland-born Hanorah Ann, née Hehir (1884-1945). Marriage: 24 December 1934 at Toowoomba, to Queensland-born Julia Campbell (1909-1991). They had four daughters and two sons. Death: 19 February 1992 at Booval, Queensland. Religion: Catholic.

• In 1925 he joined Amalgamated Engineering Union (AEU) as first year apprentice at Rockhampton Railway Workshops.
• Sacked during the Depression but rejoined the railways at Ipswich where he became district secretary in 1941, holding the position during the 9-week 1948 Queensland railway strike.
• Prominent in six-month 1964-1965 Mt Isa strike. From 1953 to 1967 he was AEU organiser in Brisbane.
• Executive member of Queensland Trades and Labor Council, and was on the Queensland central executive of the Australian Labor Party. In 1967 was elected chairman of Commonwealth Council of AEU, moving to Sydney.
• With amalgamation of metal trades unions, in 1972 he became first president of Amalgamated Metal Workers and Shipwrights’ Union, holding the position until his retirement in March 1975.
• Australian Council of Trade Unions executive member from 1967 to 1974.
• Sometime honorary secretary and president of the Catholic Young Men’s Society [later known as Brothers) Rugby League Football Club at Ipswich.
• Cause of death: ameloblastoma left maxilla.

Sources
Amalgamated Metal Workers’ Union Monthly Journal, April 1975; The Metal Worker, March 1992; Tribune (Sydney), 20 September 1967, p 10.