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Glen Harold Fingleton (1911–1965)

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This entry is from People Australia

Glen Harold James (‘Fingo’) Fingleton (1911-1965) clerk, trade union official 

Birth: 1911 at Waverley, Sydney, New South Wales, son of James Fingleton (1876-1920), tram driver and politician, and Belinda May (Mary), née Webb (1878-1955). Marriage: 1937 at Newtown, Sydney, to Mavis Magdalene Kessey (1916-1994). They had two daughters. Death: 18 June 1965 at Glebe Island, Sydney. Religion: Catholic. 

  • Fingleton family were well-known in Waverley. Father was a Labor politician. One brother was mayor of Waverley 1930-40; another Jack, was a distinguished cricketer, and Glen himself was a capable flannelled fool, captain of Waverley Cricket Club for 12 years.
  • Telegraph messenger in Postmaster-General’s Department in 1925. Later gave occupation as civil servant then clerk, later as union secretary.
  • Foundation member of Sydney Crane and Auto Truck Drivers’ Union, 1943, which became Mechanical Branch, Waterside Workers’ Federation (WWF). Secretary of branch from 1946 to 1965.
  • Long-term Australian Labor Party member, and spoke often during 1951 referendum re banning of Communist Party of Australia, advocating ‘No’ vote.
  • Selected as WWF observer on trade union delegation to Soviet Union which attended November 7 celebrations in Moscow in 1952. Clashed with WWF Sydney branch and its secretary Tom Nelson when he disclosed “that his report would be anti-communist”.
  • Died in harness, after ‘making one of the most emotional speeches of his career’ to wharfies at Glebe Island.
  • Cause of Death: acute myocardial infarction and coronary arteriosclerosis. 

Sources
Maritime Worker
(Melbourne), 23 August 1952, 30 June 1965, 14 July 1965.

Additional Resources and Scholarship

Citation details

'Fingleton, Glen Harold (1911–1965)', People Australia, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, https://labouraustralia.anu.edu.au/biography/fingleton-glen-harold-33641/text42092, accessed 7 December 2024.

© Copyright Labour Australia, 2012

Glen Fingleton, 1952

Glen Fingleton, 1952

Maritime Worker (Melbourne), 18 October 1952, p 3

Life Summary [details]

Birth

1911
Waverley, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Death

18 June, 1965 (aged ~ 54)
Glebe Island, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Cause of Death

heart disease

Religious Influence

Includes the religion in which subjects were raised, have chosen themselves, attendance at religious schools and/or religious funeral rites; Atheism and Agnosticism have been included.

Occupation or Descriptor
Key Events
Key Organisations
Political Activism