BAIRD, William John McKinley
| Service Number: | 3271 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | Not yet discovered |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 35th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Coonamble, New South Wales, Australia, 17 April 1901 |
| Home Town: | Coonamble, Coonamble, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Mercer |
| Died: | Pneumonia; Heart failure, Ryde, New South Wales, Australia, 19 January 1981, aged 79 years |
| Cemetery: |
Northern Suburbs Memorial Gardens and Crematorium, NSW |
| Memorials: |
World War 1 Service
| 2 Aug 1917: | Involvement Private, 3271, 35th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '17' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Miltiades embarkation_ship_number: A28 public_note: '' | |
|---|---|---|
| 2 Aug 1917: | Embarked Private, 3271, 35th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Miltiades, Sydney |
Biography
William John McKinley (‘Jack’) Baird (1901-1981) rubber-worker, trade union leader
Birth: 17 April 1901 at Coonamble, New South Wales, son of Samuel Baird (1865-1903), born Londonderry, Ireland, and NSW-born Martha Christina, née Harris; Marriage:10 November 1923 St Stephen’s Church, Newtown, Sydney to Jane Cowens Hunter. Death: 19 January 1981 at Ryde, Sydney, New South Wales. Religion: Anglican.
5 feet 3 inches [152.5 cm] tall, gave occupation ‘mercer’ and falsified his age when he enlisted in AIF at Coonamble on 26 June 1917. Served in France. Returned to Australia and was discharged on 19 February 1920.
Employed as a rubber-worker by 1923. An organiser, Federated Rubber and Allied Workers Union of Australia NSW Branch, from about 1932 to about 1953, he was NSW Branch Secretary-Treasurer, c.1953-70 (retired), Federal Vice-President for many years and honorary Life Member.
Joined Australian Labor Party in 1919. Was an ALP conference delegate for 50 years. In 1979 was made Life Member, ALP NSW Branch, nominated by Federated Rubber Workers & Allied Workers Union of Australia.
Unsuccessful as ALP candidate for Federal electorate of Bennelong in 1963.
From 1952 an alderman on Ryde Council, sometime deputy mayor.
“Right-wing” vice-president of the Labor Council of New South Wales 1954 to 1961.
Submitted 21 April 2026 by John Baird