Obituaries Australia

The sudden death of Mary Millar at her home in Brisbane on August 1 came as a shock to her many friends. Aged 83, she radiated good health until the end.

Mary was born and grew up in Glasgow, Scotland, and came to Australia in 1925 to marry Alexander Millar, an immigrant Scottish miner.

When Collinsville (NQ) was opened in the early '20s as a state-owned coal mine, the Millars moved there and played an active part in the Miners' Union until they retired to Brisbane with their two daughters, Isabel and Connie, in 1954.

As secretary of the Collinsville branch of the Country Women's Association, Mary was in the forefront of every worthwhile cause, assisting those in need, and she played an important part in the North Queensland conference of that body.

Her experiences in Collinsville naturally led her to become a member of the Communist Party which she joined in the middle 'thirties. She proved a loyal and active worker for the cause of socialism and remained a communist all her life.

For a time she was a member of the Bowen Section Committee of the Communist Party and her wise counsel always assisted in keeping members' feet firmly on the ground.

A good pianist, she gave her services (free of charge) to a great many worthwhile causes such as community concerts for funds for the Collinsville town band, never refusing any reasonable request.

In Brisbane, Mary had a long and active history in the women's movement, mainly in the Union of Australian Women of which she was a foundation member and a member of the state management committee for many years. She was an enthusiastic participant in their many campaigns around women's rights, peace and living conditions, etc, and contributed, as she did to many other organisations, to the entertainment side of things with her talented piano playing.

Her craft work, which was prodigious, was sent by the UAW all over the world with delegations to international conferences etc, and was much appreciated whenever received. 

Mary was also well known in the post-war years for her work in the ex-service field. She assisted in a variety of ways in the campaigns and activities of the Australian Legion of ex-Servicemen and Women, working with the women's auxiliary and was well-known for providing much entertainment at the piano at the lively socials held at the club.

She was a most popular figure among members and friends there and is still well-remembered for her work in this area.

In her later years she became an active member of the Australian Pensioners' League, holding the office of president of the Brisbane Metropolitan branch for several years. All members of the branch joined in a written tribute in the League's newsletter.

Tribune joins many Queenslanders in mourning Mary's loss and offers condolences to her husband, Sandy, her daughters, grandchildren and greatgrandchildren.