Frank Lundie
Encyclopedia
Francis Walter "Frank" Lundie (1 March 1866 – 13 July 1933) was an Australian trade unionist.
Lundie was born at Port Adelaide
to railway labourer John Lundie and Maryann Josephine, née Moran. He was educated at local public schools but at the age of eleven began working as a station-hand in western New South Wales
. He joined the Amalgamated Shearers' Union (which became the Australian Workers' Union
in 1894) in 1887 and was president of the Adelaide branch from 1889. He served as an organiser from 1892 until his appointment as secretary from 1900, a position he would hold until his death in 1933. He was a leader of the 1894 shearers' strike and was president of the United Labourers' Union's South Australian branch from 1907 to 1912. He married Elizabeth Margaret Battens Armstrong on 20 January 1891; she died in 1907, and he remarried on 20 January 1909 to Edith Mary Armstrong.
A moderate supporter of direct action, Lundie was also a member of the United Labor Party
and strongly believed it should remain under the control of the working class rather than politicians and union leaders. He engaged in bitter disputes with the Verran
Labor government in 1910, and continued low-level opposition to the party leadership until 1917, when he was able to harness the resentment over the conscription
split to take over the party. Lundie was elected president of the party executive and later that year defeated William Spence
to become the AWU's national president, a position he held until his own defeat by Arthur Blakeley
in 1919. His attempts at direct political involvement had been less successful: he was defeated for the Senate
in 1917 and 1919 and for the South Australian House of Assembly
in 1905 and 1924. He was, however, a member of Port Adelaide City Council from 1900 to 1909 and Adelaide City Council
from 1909 to 1931. A teetotaller, Lundie died in 1933; his funeral was attended by around a thousand people. An ex-prisoners' hostel in Whitmore Square was named after him in 1963.
Lundie was born at Port Adelaide
Port Adelaide
Port Adelaide is a suburb of Adelaide lying about 14 kilometres northwest of the City of Adelaide. It lies within the City of Port Adelaide Enfield and is the main port for the city of Adelaide...
to railway labourer John Lundie and Maryann Josephine, née Moran. He was educated at local public schools but at the age of eleven began working as a station-hand in western New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
. He joined the Amalgamated Shearers' Union (which became the Australian Workers' Union
Australian Workers' Union
The Australian Workers' Union is one of Australia's largest and oldest trade unions. It traces its origins to unions founded in the pastoral and mining industries in the 1880s, and currently has approximately 135,000 members...
in 1894) in 1887 and was president of the Adelaide branch from 1889. He served as an organiser from 1892 until his appointment as secretary from 1900, a position he would hold until his death in 1933. He was a leader of the 1894 shearers' strike and was president of the United Labourers' Union's South Australian branch from 1907 to 1912. He married Elizabeth Margaret Battens Armstrong on 20 January 1891; she died in 1907, and he remarried on 20 January 1909 to Edith Mary Armstrong.
A moderate supporter of direct action, Lundie was also a member of the United Labor Party
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
and strongly believed it should remain under the control of the working class rather than politicians and union leaders. He engaged in bitter disputes with the Verran
John Verran
John Verran was the 26th Premier of South Australia, serving from 1910 to 1912. The 1910 election saw the South Australian division of the Australian Labor Party form a majority government, the first time a party had done so in South Australia...
Labor government in 1910, and continued low-level opposition to the party leadership until 1917, when he was able to harness the resentment over the conscription
Conscription
Conscription is the compulsory enlistment of people in some sort of national service, most often military service. Conscription dates back to antiquity and continues in some countries to the present day under various names...
split to take over the party. Lundie was elected president of the party executive and later that year defeated William Spence
William Spence
William Guthrie Spence , Australian trade union leader and politician, played a leading role in the formation of both Australia's largest union, the Australian Workers Union, and the Australian Labor Party.-Early life:...
to become the AWU's national president, a position he held until his own defeat by Arthur Blakeley
Arthur Blakeley
Arthur Blakeley was an Australian politician.Blakeley was born in Gilberton, South Australia, and was educated at North Broken Hill Convent School. He left school at 13 to work in the local mining camps...
in 1919. His attempts at direct political involvement had been less successful: he was defeated for the Senate
Australian Senate
The Senate is the upper house of the bicameral Parliament of Australia, the lower house being the House of Representatives. Senators are popularly elected under a system of proportional representation. Senators are elected for a term that is usually six years; after a double dissolution, however,...
in 1917 and 1919 and for the South Australian House of Assembly
South Australian House of Assembly
The House of Assembly, or lower house, is one of the two chambers of the Parliament of South Australia. The other is the Legislative Council. It sits in Parliament House in the state capital, Adelaide.- Overview :...
in 1905 and 1924. He was, however, a member of Port Adelaide City Council from 1900 to 1909 and Adelaide City Council
City of Adelaide
The City of Adelaide is a local government area in the metropolitan area of Adelaide, South Australia. It covers the original Adelaide city centre settlement, , North Adelaide, and the Adelaide Park Lands which surround North Adelaide and the city centre.Established in 1840, the organisation now...
from 1909 to 1931. A teetotaller, Lundie died in 1933; his funeral was attended by around a thousand people. An ex-prisoners' hostel in Whitmore Square was named after him in 1963.