Labour Australia

James Moorish, n.d.

James John Morrish (1868-1956) shepherd, barman, trade union official, politician and farmer 

Birth: 20 January 1868 at Carmarthen, South Wales, son of Francis Thomas Morrish (1844-1896), master butcher, and Margaret, née Morgan (b.1843). Marriages: (1) 1901 at Sydney, New South Wales, to Violet Ellen Hayward (1876-1921). They had one son. (2) 1921 at Parramatta, New South Wales, to a native-born divorcée Vivienne Margaret, née Clerke, late Gerrand (1872-1938). Death: 10 October 1956 at Hurstville, NSW. Religion: Anglican. 

• Described as a shepherd when he arrived in NSW as an assisted immigrant aboard the SS Florida on 6 December 1885. Held various hotel jobs in NSW and other colonies.
• Helped found the Hotel, Club, Restaurant and Caterers’ Employees’ Union in 1900, advocating industrial unionism over craft organisation. Helped to reorganise the union in 1907, becoming union secretary.
• Joined Political Labor League. Contested Waterloo for the Australian Labor Party in 1901 and Mudgee 1907.
• Member Socialist Labor Party. Closely associated with Harry Holland in short-lived Social Democratic Federation, which he co-founded in December 1906. Broke with Holland over latter’s support for lockout of Sydney Coal Lumpers’ Union 1907.
• Member NSW Labor Party Central Executive 1907-11 and 1913-16. Director Sydney Hospital 1911-20. Appointed justice of the peace in 1914.
• Elected member of the Legislative Assembly for King on 14 October 1910. Member State Children Relief Board 1915. Member Public Works Committee 1916-17. Expelled from Labor Party over his support for conscription in November 1916. Joined Nationalist Party. Defeated 21 February 1917.
• After defeat, employed by Chamber of Manufactures. Subsequently was a farmer. Contested seat of Botany in 1920 and St George in 1927 for the Nationalist Party.
• Charged with conspiracy to defraud in February 1925. Jury found Morrish not guilty. Bankrupt 1927; discharged 1928.
• Later occupations described as agent or commercial traveller.

Sources
Heather Radi, Peter Spearritt & Elizabeth Hinton, Biographical Register of the NSW Parliament 1901-1970 (Canberra, 1979); Co-operator, 7 October 1912.