Hundreds of Wally Curran’s comrades gave the late union leader a send-off at a memorial held at Williamstown Football Club (WFC) last Thursday.
Mr Curran, aged 82, died on March 24.
He joined the meat workers union’s Victorian branch in 1954 and was state secretary for 24 years, during which time he created a superannuation fund for members.
WFC president and barrister Trevor Monti said that a measure of Mr Curran’s success was evidenced by the hatred directed towards him by employers.
“I recall in 1990 being in Wally’s office when the union was under fierce attack from the forces of evil.”
“Wally had received a letter of demand in respect of a strike and picket line from solicitors to the effect that he, the union, and all of its members and worldly assets would be lost … Wally’s reply was: ‘Dear Sir, Thank you for your letter. Haha. Yours faithfully’.”
In their eulogy, Mr Curran’s granddaughters, Lucy and Tia, said that “Pop loved Williamstown and we are probably one of the very few people who can proudly say that they are at least fourth generation at Williamstown North Primary School.”
Daughter Cindy Curran said her father was known for “being a bit eccentric” and his hatred of bosses began at age 14 when he worked at the former woollen mills in Nelson Place.
“He quite enjoyed telling of the mayhem that was caused by him grabbing a handful of clock cards and clocking them all on. His next job as a painter and docker saw him taken under the wing of Bill Gerring, the then-president of the Painters and Dockers.”
Victorian ALP Senator Kim Carr said he once asked the unionist, who helped Paul Keating oust Bob Hawke from the Labor leadership, how a hot-headed militant who had left school early and never learnt a trade was able to exert such influence.
He went on to quote Mr Curran’s answer:
“I never sought any great riches or a seat in parliament … so I never wanted anything from anybody else, and I was never beholden to any other bastard.”
Mr Curran is survived by his partner Kay Morrissey, daughters Lisa and Cindy, and granddaughters Lucy and Tia.
