Obituaries Australia

Mr. Peter James Mooney, a former president of the State Executive of the Australian Labour Party and until last year a member of the State Licensing Bench, died at a private hospital in Mt. Lawley yesterday after a long illness. He was 71 years old.

Born at Geelong, Victoria, the late Mr. Mooney came to Western Australia 48 years ago and, after working as a furnaceman in several Perth foundries, joined the staff of the Midland Junction workshops, remaining there for 20 years. Mr. Mooney organised the Ironworkers Assistants' Union and was its secretary for 12 years until the organisation was merged with the Amalgamated Engineering Union. For 11 years he was president of the metropolitan council of the AL.P. in this State and in 1924 he was elected secretary of the council. In 1939 he was appointed to the State Licensing Bench in succession to Mr. E. H. Barker, and served until his retirement last year. For the four years prior to his appointment he had been general president of the State Executive of the A.L.P. He represented the metropolitan council eight or nine times at conferences of the Labour movement held in various capital cities.

The late Mr. Mooney was a foundation member of the Metropolitan Market Trust and for 15 years was a member of the board of management of the Perth Hospital. For many years he was a member of the committee of the West Australian Institute for the Blind and in 1939 he was appointed by the Willcock Government as a member of the Council for the Development of Industry. Previously he was a member of the committee which made recommendations to the trustees of the youth employment appeal as to how funds should be spent. He was formerly director of the People's Printing and Publishing Company, and for several years was chairman of directors.

He left a widow and a married daughter (Mrs. H. Armstrong). A Requiem Mass will be celebrated at the Sacred Heart Church, Marystreet, Highgate Hill, at 9 a.m. to morrow and the funeral will leave the Trades Hall for the Karrakatta Cemetery at 2 pm tomorrow.