Deposit N188 - Betty Reilly papers

Betty Reilly was born on 15 November 1910. She married Frederick John Reilly in 1936 and was later divorced in 1948. Reilly joined the St Kilda Branch of the Communist Party of Australia in 1937. She volunteered to assist the Newtown strike committee during the 1941 textile strike. She then worked at Bonds mill in Camperdown but was subsequently sacked; and found work as a doffer at Australian Woollen Mills, when she began organising workers into the Textile Workers’ Union. Reilly was appointed shop steward and was active in the 1943 Sydney textile strike but (reluctantly) supported the CPA’s call to end strike action. She became secretary of the CPA Women’s Committee. Active in Union of Australian Women; employed by Women’s International Democratic Federation, Berlin, 1952-55; and remained active in the women’s movement and peace movement in Australia. Her published articles include “A Stitch in time: experiences in the rag trade” (Australian Left Review, no. 82 September 1982) and “Knowing we were right” (Australian Left Review, no. 85 Spring 1983).