Jack Mundey papers

MLMSS 11736

fonds

1967-2021

Textual Records, Clippings, Ephemera

9664751

0.64 metres of textual material (4 boxes) - typescript, manuscript

John Bernard (Jack) Mundey (1929-2020) was born in Malada, Queensland and moved to Sydney when he was 19 years old to play as a professional rugby player for Parramatta for three years. He then became a metalworker and builder's labourer, working on many sites including the Opera House.

Mundey was secretary of the Builders Labourers Federation (BLF), New South Wales Branch, 1968-1975. He established the world's first green bans, where workers refused to work a site that would damage the environment or built heritage. The BLF green banned 43 projects between 1971-1975 and led to the New South Wales government bringing in tighter demolition laws. Areas saved by the green ban movement in Sydney include The Rocks, Centennial Park, the Botanic Gardens and Woolloomooloo.

Mundey was appointed Chair of the New South Wales Historic Houses Trust, 1995-2001, and was subsequently made Patron of Friends of the Historic Houses Trust Inc. Mundey was alderman for Gipps Ward, City of Sydney, 1984-1987 and joined the Greens in 2003. He was awarded honorary doctorates at The University of Sydney and University of Western Sydney, Life Member of the Australian Conservation Foundation, Patron of the Historic Houses Association of Australia, a 'National Living Treasure', and Order of Australia.

References:
Burgmann, Meredith and Verity. 1999. "Green bans, red union: Environmental activism and the New South Wales Builders Labourers' Federation". University of New South Wales Press, Sydney.
Colman, James. 2016. "The house that Jack built". NewSouth Publishing, Coogee, New South Wales.
Australian Communist Party. "Jack Mundey". Accessed 30 October 2020. https://auscp.org.au/history/jack-mundey/
City of Sydney. "Jack Mundey". Sydney's Alderman. Accessed 30 October 2020. https://www.sydneyaldermen.com.au/alderman/jack-mundey/

BOX 1
FOLDER 1
Correspondence relating to speaking engagements, awards, and invitations to events; flyers of events involving Mundey including the Greens Ban Movement; handwritten notes for various speeches including speech delivered to the Australian Services Union, Newcastle, 13 November 1993; articles written by Mundey, titled, 'A wider vision for trade unions' and 'Ecology and technology', 1970-1999

FOLDER 2-3
Correspondence relating to speaking engagements, invitations to events, Environmentalists for Full Employment Australia, Centre for Environmental Studies; flyers of events involving Mundey; articles relating to Mundey, 1974-1979

FOLDER 4
Correspondence relating to speaking engagements, invitations to events, the Australian Conservation Foundation; oral history transcript of interview with Beverley Broadbent, 1993; eulogy, obituaries and condolences relating to Mundey's death, 1989-2021

BOX 2
FOLDER 5
Certificates of achievement awarded to Mundey including: University of Western Sydney honorary doctorate, 1998; University of Sydney Master of Environment honoris causa, 2001; Liverpool City Council Australia Day Ambassador, 2006; Ashfield Municipal Council Citizen of the Year, 2008; nominated Australian of the Year, 2015; The Glebe Society honorary life membership, 2019; and correspondence relating to Mundey's Order of Australia award, 2000

FOLDER 6
Builders Labourer's Federation constitution, decisions, documents, newsletters and publications, 1975-1976

FOLDER 7
Environmentalists For Full Employment in Australia membership information form and records; articles and publicity relating to Woolloomooloo Finger Wharf; correspondence with overseas organisations; articles about Mundey and written by Mundey including, 'Ecology, capitalism, communism', 'Urbanisation: A challenge to socialism', talk 'The role of workers in a modern, industrial society, social responsibility and ecology' delivered at 'Ecology, Employment, Exploitation', Harrison Hot Springs, British Colombia, Canada, 25 February 1977; correspondence with Centre for Environmental Studies, London, 1975

FOLDER 8
Handwritten notes and correspondence relating to talks; speeches and articles by Mundey, 1975-2018

BOX 3
FOLDER 9
Posters, invitations, flyers and ephemera relating to events involving Mundey, ca. 1976-2019

FOLDER 10
Newspaper clippings related to Mundey, 1972-1989

FOLDER 11
Newspaper clippings related to Mundey, 1990-1999

FOLDER 12
Newspaper clippings related to Mundey, 2000-2021

BOX 4
Magazines, articles and other publications mentioning Mundey, including his book 'The house that Jack built', 1967-2020
Includes a report to ICAC regarding possible corruption in relation to the Barangaroo development, by Australians for Sustainable Development, 2011
The 120 year history of Riverstone Football Club, which includes a photograph of Mundey as Captain/Coach of the 1955 Riverstone 'A' Grade Premiership winning team and the committee

Copyright restrictions may apply:
Please acknowledge:: Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales and Courtesy copyright holder