Fred Paterson | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of theQueensland Parliament forBowen | |
| In office 15 April 1944 – 27 March 1950 | |
| Preceded by | Ernest Riordan |
| Succeeded by | Seat abolished |
| Alderman of theTownsville City Council | |
| In office 1939–1944 | |
| Member of theGladstone Town Council | |
| In office April 1927 – November 1928 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Frederick Woolnough Paterson 13 June 1897 Gladstone,Queensland, Australia |
| Died | 7 October 1977(1977-10-07) (aged 80) Concord,New South Wales, Australia |
| Political party | Communist(1923–1926; 1930–1977) |
| Other political affiliations | Labor(1923–1926) |
| Height | 175 cm (5 ft 9 in) |
| Spouse(s) | Lucy Ethel Blackman (m. 1924–1931; divorced) Kathleen Claire (m. 1932–1977; his death) |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | Gladstone State School, Rockhampton Grammar School, Brisbane Grammar School |
| Alma mater | University of Queensland(BA) Merton College, Oxford(BA) |
| Profession | Barrister |
| Nickname | Red Fred |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  Australia |
| Branch/service | Australian Army |
| Years of service | 1918–1919 |
| Unit | Imperial Force |
| Battles/wars | World War I |
| Part ofa series on |
| Socialism in Australia |
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Frederick Woolnough Paterson (13 June 1897 – 7 October 1977) was an Australian politician, activist, unionist and lawyer. He is the only representative of theCommunist Party of Australia to be elected to an Australian parliament.
In 1949 he was described as "[b]alding, sallow faced, slight and wiry, with the quavering voice of an old man, Paterson is a non-drinker, non-smoker, non-gambler, non-swearer".[1]
Paterson was born and raised on a pig farm inGladstone, Queensland. He was educated atGladstone State School, came second in the annual bursary examination at 13 years of age,[2]Rockhampton Grammar School, andBrisbane Grammar School and then studied classics at theUniversity of Queensland, before joining the military in 1918.[3] He subsequently saw action on the battlefields of France, returning in 1919.[2] While in France, he was involved in two food-related strikes, which were both successful.[citation needed] On return he completed his studies.[2]
In January 1920, Paterson moved toMerton College, Oxford to study theology, after becoming aRhodes Scholar.[4][2] However, by the time he sat for his honours degree in 1922, his belief in Christianity had changed. He had witnessed extreme poverty in Ireland and parts of London, and this concerned him. Not long after returning toQueensland, Paterson joined theCommunist Party of Australia.[5]
He also had an interest in sporting, having come second in two-miles amateur championships in Queensland, aged 16, and 440 yards (400 m) championship, aged 20, represented his university in the Brisbane senior competition football, and represented Queensland returned soliders against anAIF touring team.[2]
Paterson began studying law in 1923. By 1924, he was giving lectures onMarxism. Then, in 1925, he began working for theWorkers' Educational Association.[6] This saw him addressing unions, giving lectures on the history of the working-class, and trying to increase the association's membership.[7]
In 1931, Paterson was admitted to theNew South Wales Bar.[4] He based himself inBrisbane, but later that year went toTownsville to defend two Italian workers, who had been charged with assaulting the Italian consul.[8]
As theGreat Depression set in, Paterson became involved in fighting racist employment policies in the sugar industry. At the time, the unions and employer associations had a policy of refusing employment to Italian workers to combat unemployment in the industry. Paterson led a campaign by both the Communist Party and the Italian community and was successful in ending the practice. In 1933, Paterson leftBrisbane completely, and set up in Townsville. He spent his time juggling both a part-time legal career and his burgeoning role as a travelling activist for the Communist Party. By this time, he had gained a reputation as a fine public speaker.[citation needed]
In April 1934, Paterson was nominated by the Communist Party as their candidate formayor of Brisbane but he was easily defeated byAlfred James Jones, theLabor candidate.[9]
During the late 1930s, the Communist Party continued to grow rapidly in North Queensland, with Paterson at the forefront. He played a significant role in the union movement in the sugar industry during a key strike over workplace conditions, and became involved in the anti-fascist movement.[citation needed]
In 1939, Paterson stood successfully as an alderman for theTownsville City Council, becoming the first member of the Communist Party to win such an office in Australia.[10] In August 1940 he stood as an independent socialist for thefederal seat of Herbert.[11] He was then re-elected to council in 1943. The same year, he stood for thefederal seat of Herbert, but was defeated.{[12][13][14]
The next year, he again made history, when at his third attempt, he won the State electoral seat ofBowen at the1944 Queensland state election.[4][15] While Paterson had polled slightly behind his rival in Bowen itself, he was far in front in the mining and sugar-farming areas, which resulted in a significant victory. He retained the seat at thefollowing election.[4][15]
During his time in parliament, Paterson advocated for a "socialistpost-war reconstruction" aimed at achievingfull employment.[16] These policies included increasing nurse salaries, the implementation of the40 hour work week into law,equal pay for women,capping rents in relation to the average income, and abolishingchild labor on farms.[16] Paterson also advocated for free publicly owned and managedhousing,child care, nurseries,playgrounds,pharmaceuticals andhospitals, and the introduction of free education from kindergarten to "the highest level at university".[16] These public institutions would have been established through widespreadnationalisation.[16] He also advocated for the nationalisation of most key industries in Australia.[16]
After being elected to Parliament, Paterson largely gave up the law, to concentrate on his political career. He continued being actively involved in public issues, particularly through the union movement, and was a vocal critic of the government of the time. He often made speeches at the Domain in central Brisbane.[17] Paterson was rewarded, retaining his seat at the 1947 state election. During the1948 railway strike, he regularly joined the picket line in the mornings before going to sit in Parliament. He also gave the picketers legal advice. Paterson knew that the police had the power to order the picketers to move, but that they did not have the power to order them where exactly to move. He then devised a strategy where, as they were moved on by the police, the picketers simply moved around the block.[citation needed]
During a demonstration inBrisbane, on 17 March 1948, Paterson intervened when a police officer began to assault a demonstrator nearCentral station.[1][18] Paterson was himself then struck from behind by another officer, and was rushed to hospital in an ambulance, unconscious.[19] Paterson was unable to do any political activity for some months afterwards. An inquiry into the incident found that no wrongdoing had occurred and no police officer was ever arrested or charged with the assault. The ex-Queensland police officer and former Labor leaderBill Hayden later named the officer as sergeant Jack Mahony, who had boasted about using a pick handle on "the 'Commie' Fred Paterson" during Hayden's time as an officer.[16]
While Paterson was recovering, the Queensland branch of the veterans organisationReturned and Services League of Australia (RSL) expelled him for being a Communist.[20][21][1] However, his return to Townsville, once he had sufficiently recovered from his injuries to travel, was widely celebrated.[22]
In a 1949 redistribution, Paterson's electorate of Bowen was abolished, and split between two new electorates:Burdekin andWhitsunday. HistorianRoss Fitzgerald suggests that the redistribution was done deliberately to split Paterson's electoral support and prevent him from being returned to parliament in the1950 election.[23] Paterson contested the election in Whitsunday,[24] but lost toCountry Party candidateLloyd Roberts.[15]
Paterson's defeat at the 1950 election largely ended his political career. At the time, Prime MinisterRobert Menzies was launching his anti-Communist campaign, and introducing legislation to prevent Communists from holding public office. Paterson was involved in the successful campaign against Menzies' anti-Communist measures together withMax Julius, and he continued to be involved in the union movement and Communist Party right up until his death in 1977. He also served as the leading council for the Communist Party in theRoyal Commission Inquiring into the Origins, Aims, Objects and Funds of the Communist Party in Victoria and Other Related Matters in 1949.[1]
Paterson and fellow communist Gilbert Burns were constantly the subject of surveillance by the federal security service more correctly known as theCommonwealth Security Service (CSS). The Brisbane office of the CSS was run by Bob Wake.[25]
| Parliament of Queensland | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member forBowen 1944–1950 | Abolished |
