Deposit N300 - Merv MacFarlane papers

Merv MacFarlane was born on 22 June 1924 at West Gosford, New South Wales. On 11 December 1941, at the age 17 he joined the army and served in the Middle East, New Guinea and Borneo until 18 June 1946. From 9 February 1948 he commenced work on the Sydney waterfront and joined the Sydney Branch of the Waterside Workers' Federation (WWF). MacFarlane was the Federation's job delegate in 1956, then elected vice-president of the Branch in 1960, and again in 1976-1984, he was vigilance officer 1970-1973, and in 1977-1984 was appointed to the position of the port transfer officer. He was a member of the Australian Labor Party until he left to join the Communist Party of Australia (CPA) in 1963 and was editor of the CPA newsletter Wharfie. He became an editor for the Revesby Workers Club News in 1964. MacFarlane left the CPA in 1971 and became a founding member of the Socialist Party of Australia (SPA) in 1972. He was vice-chariman, Maritime Branch of the SPA and editor of the newsletter, Maritime Bulletin. In 1982 he was a founding member of the Maritime Unionists Socialist Activities Association (MUSAA) and the editor of MUSAA News. He became the first secretary of the Sydney Branch, MUSAA and later its first national secretary. Merv MacFarlane died in late February 2000.