George Britten was a Plumbers Union delegate across various workplaces in Mount Isa, Townsville and Brisbane from 1950 until the mid-1980s. He was a member of the Communist Party of Australia. He reflects on the changing nature of unionism in Queensland and his involvement in industrial campaigns including the Springboks tour of 1971, the Plumbers Union campaign for the 38 hour week in 1982 and the strike calling for the Federal Award to apply in Queensland from 1976-79.
Mary Kelly was President of the Queensland Teachers Union (QTU) from 1986 until 1994. Only the second woman to ever lead the QTU, and the first to do so full-time, she had been a longstanding executive member of the union. In both of these capacities, she worked to improve conditions for all involved in education, but for women teachers and students particularly. She was the Vice-President of the Australian Education Union, an active member of the Working Woman's Charter Committee, and one of the first women executive members of the Trades and Labor Council.
Trade Unionist Kevin Carroll has been a member of the Building Workers Industrial Union (amalgamated into the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union in 1991) since 1965, and has held prominent roles within both the BWIU and the Trades and Labor Council. He discusses his career within the building and construction industry, and highlights some of the key challenges facing the union movement.
Union official and academic Diane Zetlin has worked in an academic capacity at the University of Queensland since 1976. She became involved with the Federated Australian University Staff Association (FAUSA) as President, and was involved in the amalgamation of unions to form the National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU), of which she later became General Secretary. Her career has spanned radical changes in political and social attitudes, and she discusses changing conditions for tertiary workers and the role of women in trade unions.
Trade Unionist Walter Threlfall became Assistant State Secretary of the Electrical Trades Union (ETU) in 1983. He discusses his time as an ETU member and official from 1972 until the mid-1990s in North Queensland, with particular reference to the infamous SEQEB dispute of the Bjelke-Petersen era and the Mount Isa Mine lockout.
Trade Unionist Jack Hutton, as a delegate for the Boilermakers and Blacksmiths Union (later the Amalgamated Metal Workers Union) from 1951-91, was the longest serving Trades and Labour Council member in Australia. He reflects on his many years of union involvement, from the railways in Townsville to the Burdekin Bridge, and recalls the events and personalities which shaped his career.
Sallyanne Atkinson served as a popularly elected Liberal Lord Mayor of the Brisbane City Council, 1985-91. She reflects on her time at the Council, particularly the relationship between the Brisbane City Council and the State government. During her time in office she presided over Expo 88 and sought to reform Council processes.
Public servant John Sosso served in the Queensland departments of Consumer Affairs, Justice and Emergency Services and was Deputy Director General in the Premier’s Department until removed in 1998 by the incoming Beattie government. He reflects on his involvement in the Fitzgerald Inquiry, public sector reform and the ‘hit list’ controversy. He discusses his experiences with the Goss and Borbidge governments, including his participation in censorship reform and the PSMC.
Liberal Party politician Denver Beanland was elected to the State seat of Toowong in 1986 following a 10 year term on the Brisbane City Council. He was leader of the Liberal Party in Queensland 1990-91 and held various ministries and shadow ministries before his defeat in 2001. In 1997 a vote of no-confidence was passed against him as Attorney-General over his role in the Carruthers and Connolly-Ryan Inquiries.
