John Stanley Palmer (1926-2001)
Born: 7 August 1926, Windsor N.S.W. Son of Stanley, carpenter-builder and Una Williams, netbraider. Married Helen Ursula Finch, 1957.
- Educated at Wilberforce Public School; moved with family to Victoria;
- Improver-carpenter, Kiewa hydro-electric project Victoria; became Minute Secretary at first union meeting at age 15;
- Joined Communist Party at age of 16; active in party until mid-1950s;
- Served in RAAF during WWII;
- Returned to Kiewa to complete improvership; Short spell as carpenter, Warragamba Dam NSW 1946 before returning to Kiewa; Organiser, Country Victoria Building Workers Industrial Union (BWIU) 1952-53; Carpenter and BWIU rep. Warragamba 1954-64;
- Very active with F.R. Greentree in interunion solidarity at Warragamba, chairing Combined Unions Committee and instrumental in sale of township houses to their residents; Promoted to overseer, and later Construction Inspector, 1964 and joined Salaried Officers' Division of Water Board Union;
- Held many positions within Salaried Division, including President, Vice-President of ACSPA, NSW; Alternative member of NSW Crown Employees' Appeals Board and employee representative on Water Board, June 1980.
Sydney Water Board Journal, July 1980; P. Sheldon thesis; Interview with John Palmer 19 Feb. 1993
Citation details
Peter Sheldon, 'Palmer, John Stanley (1926–2001)', People Australia, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, https://labouraustralia.anu.edu.au/biography/palmer-john-stanley-31928/text39385, accessed 30 January 2023.