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Subject: Anzac Day

sisfreak2017 26.04.17 - 12:37am
great story about your relative was reading the ABC following the service in
Canberra earlier * +

shadow27 26.04.17 - 06:12am
There's a bunch of other stuff about him, how he became a Communist.. In 1943 he ran against the widow of Joe Lyons (Joe Lyons was the tenth Prime Minister of Australia.. thought I recognized that name lol) as a Communist Party candidate for the Tasmanian federal seat of Darwin in the House of Representatives. It was not close in any way, she won the seat.. Communism really wasn't popular in Australia in those days. The Federal government ended up banning the Communist Party of Australia in 1950. * +

shadow27 26.04.17 - 06:17am
How Roy became an earnest advocate Phyllis cannot recall. She can remember in the same year being taken by her father across the Mersey on the Ferry and, whilst walking up Stewart St to the Post Office, a gentleman got out of his Model T Ford, came round in front of the Roy and, whilst greeting, Roy, put his hand out to shake. Roy refused to shake his hand, saying ''I dont shake hands with twisters.'' Phyllis states the gentleman was Joe Lyons. This was at the time when Joe Lyons, had switched side from the Australian Labour Party (ALP), forming the United Australia Party (UAP), the conservative party that preceded the Liberal Party. Joe was the local member, born in Stanley, educated in Ulverstone. He had been a Labour Premier of Tasmania before entering Federal Parliament. Joe was Prime Minister from January 1932 to April 1939, when he died in office. Joe led Australia through the worst of the depression, defecting from the Scully ALP Government due to policy differences about how to manage the economy in a depression. Joe, Acting Treasurer, preached restraint whilst the Labour Caucus wanted to spend their way out.

On one occasion in the 1930's, Roy went to Melbourne for the May Day March. He took on the role of the bloated capitalist in a piece of street theatre in the march, being carried through the streets of Melbourne on the 'backs of the workers.' There is little detail in Phyllis's story, though apparently the march must have broken the law because Roy ended up in jail for the night! * +

shadow27 26.04.17 - 06:20am
Roy had always been interested in people and his community. In the Depression Era he shared his good fortune with others, especially the ''underdog.'' He was a great worker for charitable organizations, the Toc H movement especially. Roy would personally take food and clothing to those less fortunate. Barry Argent reported that Roy was 'remembered now (1982) by contemporaries for the boxes of fish he slipped to the needy, on the quiet.' Phyllis recalls one time when a local family lost their home to fire and the insurance company would not pay. Roy leapt into the breach, taking the insurance company to court and winning. * +

shadow27 26.04.17 - 06:34am
His political beliefs ripped the family apart.. He passed away in 1950 and, as you can imagine, the funeral was very stressful for the family. He had stated that he wanted to be buried as a Communist and being labelled as a CPA sympathizer was a real fear for some family members.
When the family arrived at Marine Street for the first stage of the funeral there was his coffin draped in the hammer and sickle flag. It was a shock to the brothers and sisters and the children. The controversy of the funeral was played out in the papers for weeks.

- STIR OVER BURIAL OF COMMUNIST

LAUNCESTON, Monday - A Russian flag was draped over the coffin of a well-known Devonport Communist at Launceston crematorium recently, it was stated at a meeting of the City Council this evening, and an avowed Communist gave a funeral oration described as containing foreign propaganda.

Some relatives are reported to be concerned that the body of the Communist was not given a Christian burial by a minister of religion. - * +

shadow27 30.07.17 - 02:37pm
More about the 12th Battalion in here, I just realized where I'd heard about it before. *

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