International Encyclopedia of Revolution and Protest

Extract

The leader of the Communist Party of Australia (CPA) for many years, Lawrence Louis Sharkey was the public face of a movement that closely allied itself with the Soviet Union under Stalin. Although membership of the party was small, communists were powerful in certain sectors of the economy, notably on the wharfs and in the iron and coal industries. Born on August 19, 1898 at Warry Creek, near Cargo, New South Wales, Lawrence Louis Sharkey was the son of Michael Sharkey and Mary (née Teefy), both Australian-born but of Irish ancestry. Lawrence was raised as a Roman Catholic and left school at the age of 14. After an apprenticeship for a coach maker at Orange, NSW, he worked as a coach builder. Sharkey became involved in politics during the conscription debates during World War I. After the war, Sharkey became a lift attendant in Sydney and in 1922 joined the fledgling Communist Party of Australia. He was also elected to the executive of the Federated Miscellaneous Workers' Union of Australia, but lost the position in 1925 after persuading the cleaners at Trades Hall to go on strike. In 1926 he was elected to the executive of the Communist Party, but was voted off it the following year when he opposed the move away from the “united front” with the Australian Labor Party. In 1928, he became a union delegate to the Labor Council of New South Wales. Sharkey associated himself with ... log in or subscribe to read full text