Obituaries Australia

The Communist and trade union movements last week lost an outstanding figure by the death of Mr. E. J. [Edward John] Hanson.

Mr. Hanson, who died suddenly at his home in Brisbane, had been State secretary of the Operative Painters and Decorators Union for 28 years and was also senior Federal vice-president of the union, of which he was at one time Federal secretary.

Until he resigned for health reasons, he was for 25 years chairman of the Queensland Trades and Labor Council's Disputes Committee. He was also a member of both the TLC executive and the Combined Rail Unions' State executive and was a delegate from his union to the ACTU Congress and the Building Trades Group.

Mr. Hanson — who father was Labor MLA for Buranda for 23 years and Speaker for five years— joined the Communist Party in the early 1940s. He was,mfor many years a member of the Party's Queensland State Committee until he stood down for health reasons last year.

Mr. Hanson took an active interest in many sports, including Rugby League, cricket and sailing.

Tributes to his long and devoted work have been paid throughout the labor movement and beyond it. Tribune extends earnest condolences to his widow and son.