Dr Meredith Burgmann has been an academic and later a Labor Member of Parliament. She was President of the NSW Legislative Council for 8 years. Meredith is currently writing a book on the 1960s with Nadia Wheatley.
Danny Cusack is a West Australian historian who has lived in Ireland for nearly 30 years. He currently resides at Kells, Co. Meath, not far from where his paternal grandfather emigrated to Perth over a century ago. His interests include labour history, post-Famine Irish history and Irish-Australia.
Rowan Cahill has worked as a teacher, freelance writer, agricultural labourer, and for the trade union movement as a journalist, historian, and rank-and-file activist. He is currently an Honorary Fellow with the Faculty of Law, Humanities and the Arts, at Wollongong University (NSW). Rowan has published extensively in labour movement, radical, and academic publications. His most recent book is Radical Sydney (co-authored with Terry Irving).
Fran Hayes had many roles in the ASWU, as outlined in her article in this issue of Hummer. Fran Hayes also worked in training roles at TUTA for eight years during the 1980s and ’90s and as a NSW organiser in a major public sector union in the ‘80s, and later in a number of government policy roles. She has operated a successful industrial relations and training consultancy since 1996. In addition to her paid work, Fran has been a dedicated feminist activist, and was a foundation member of the National Pay Equity Coalition. See also http://fhws.com.au/
Rod Noble started working life as a tradesman at BHP Steelworks. He later became Research officer at Newcastle Trades Hall Council (NTHC) 1976-90 and also co-ordinator of Newcastle Workers Health Centre 1986-90. He worked as an academic at the University of Newcastle, 1990-2010 and has written a history of peak unionism in the Hunter Valley. Rod has been a NTHC delegate from 1977 to the present day and is currently on the executive of NTHC (now Hunter Workers). He worked closely with Peter Barrack at NTHC for many years.