Labour Australia

Downey, Daniel William Alexander (Dan) (1894-1956) builders’ labourer and trade union official 

Birth: 1894 at West Birchip, Victoria, son of native-born parents William Daniel Downey (1852-1932), labourer, and Florence Jane Munro (1860-1947). Marriage: 2 December 1916 at St Canice’s Church, Darlinghurst, Sydney, New South Wales, to Elsie May Atkinson (1895-1963). They had one daughter and two sons. Death: 15 April 1956 at Naremburn, NSW. Religion: Catholic. 

• During his youth his parents moved the family to Sydney.
• Dan was working as a gear hand, builder’s labourer, and living at Paddington when he enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force on 30 October 1916. While serving in France as a driver with the 15th Field Company Engineers he was wounded in action (gas poisoning) on 1 September 1918. He returned to Australia in January 1919 and was discharged medically unfit on 11 April 1919. His war injuries caused frequent hospitalisation late in life.
• Financial member of the Builders Laborers Federation (BLF) for 45 years, occupying positions of State treasurer and vice-president; president of the NSW branch for almost 40 years.
• Also served as Federal President BLF and president NSW Building Trades Group.
• One-time member Australian Labor Party State central executive.

Sources
Builders’ Labourers’ Journal, June 1956.