Obituaries Australia

"Tribune regrets to announce the death last Thursday of Patrick James (Paddy) Drew. He died, aged 73, after a long illness. 

"Paddy was one of the outstanding characters of the Australian working class movement," Sheet Metal Workers' Federal President and NSW Secretary, Tom Wright, told Tribune.

"He expounded Marxism in the workshop and from the platform as a member of the Australian Socialist Party in the years prior to the First World War.

"I was closely associated with him for 42 years and recall that from the first days of the 1917 Revolution he saw clearly the great world significance of the events in Russia and the role of the Bolsheviks.

"He never wavered in his devotion to the cause of World Communism.

"To the time of his retirement at the age of 70 he was an active trade unionist and contributed greatly to the strengthening of the Sheet Metal Workers' Union as one of its leading members."

Mr. Wright added that he worked as an apprentice with Paddy Drew in 1916 and was introduced by him to working class politics.

Foundation Communist Party member, Norman Jeffery, also also paid tribute to his old Comrade.

"I knew him personally since 1918. He was a foundation member of the party. His devotion to the working class and the Party never wavered. He was also particularly proud of his Irish parentage and upbringing.

He used his great powers of eloquence consistently to make known the achievements 0f the Soviet people".

Tribune offers sincere condolences Mrs. Drew and family.