Barry Egan interviewed by Richard Raxworthy in the Labor Council of New South Wales oral history project [sound recording]

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.