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Barry Egan interviewed by Richard Raxworthy in the Labor Council of New South Wales oral history project [sound recording]
Bib ID 2095213
Format AudioAudio [sound recording]
Author
Egan, Barry, 1933-2018, Interviewee
 
Access Conditions Written permission required from the Labor Council of New South Wales for research and public use. 
Description 1988 July 1 
4 sound tape reels (ca. 124 min.) : 3 3/4 ips., mono. ; 5 in. 
Series

Labor Council of New South Wales oral history project.

Summary

Mr Egan, former State Secretary of the Australian Workers' Union and National Secretary of the Shop Assistants' Union, speaks of his early life in Nowra; working in the retail trade; joining the union; joining the ALP; Marcus Clarkes; membership campaigns; Illawarra industrial relations; his involvement with WEA; his relations with Rex O'Connor; Young Labor; political ambitions; the Waltons takeover of Marcus Clarkes; Sydney University industrial law courses; Keith Murphy's appointment as Secretary; his election as NSW Secretary; NCC; increasing membership; amalgamation with the AWU; proposed merger of BWIU, AWU and Shop Assistants Unions; his relations with the NCC.

Egan discusses Ducker and Unsworth's styles; his involvement with the ACTU; Hawke's purchase of Bourke's Store; his role in the ALP; right and left factions; his relations with Wran and Whitlam; his relations with Charlie Oliver; Brian Harradine; his legal advisers; Tony Macken; problems between State and Federal legislation; Ernie O'Dea; Keith Murphy; John Johnson; Brian O'Neill; Laurie Brereton; Reg Moorby; Ernie Ecob; Brian Thompson; Brenda Hall; Barry Unsworth; collapse of the credit union; relations with the Retail Traders Association; unsuccessful campaigns; performance of the unions in different states; relations with other unions; relinquishing the Secretaryship; main legacy to the Union ; Veterans Review Board; extended trading hours.

Notes

Part of a collection of interviews with former and present trade union leaders, produced as a joint project by the Labor Council of New South Wales and the National Library of Australia.

Digital master available National Library of Australia;

Index/Finding Aid Note Transcript available: (52 p.) 
Subjects Egan, Barry, 1933-2018 -- Interviews.  |  Shop Assistants' Union -- History.  |  Labor unions -- Clerks (Retail trade) -- New South Wales.  |  New South Wales -- Social conditions.
Other authors/contributors Raxworthy, Richard, 1932-2003, Interviewer  |  Labor Council of New South Wales

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    Details Collect From
    ORAL TRC 1948/37
    Copy: Recording
    Special Collections Reading Room
    ORAL TRC 1948/37 (transcript)
    Copy: Transcript
    Special Collections Reading Room

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