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Former Member Details

Mr Ralph Benson MARSH, O.B.E (1909 - 1989)

Member Photo
Date of Birth: 03/09/1909
Place of Birth: Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia
Date of Death: 09/05/1989
Place of Death: Northmead, New South Wales, Australia
Parliamentary Service
Position Start End Period Notes
Member of Select Committee on Violent Sex Crimes 04 Apr 1968 17 Sep 1968 5 months 14 days
Member of the NSW Legislative Council 14 Nov 1962 22 Apr 1976 13 years 5 months 9 days A Member of the indirectly elected Council 1934 - 1978. Dates of Election 14 November 1962 and 21 November 1963. Elected at By-election to fill Saddington and Williams vacancies. Granted retention of title of 'Honourable' for life.
Political Party Activity
Australian Labor Party (ALP). Joined in 1933, member of central executive from 1952 until 1962, trustee in 1968. Secretary of Australian Labor Council of New South Wales.
Community Activity
Qualifications, occupations and interests
Boilermaker. Educated at Nambucca Heads public school; joined the Railways Department in 1926 and was apprenticed to boilermaking; mostly unemployed from 1931 until 1933; became a boilermaker with the Railways Department at Enfield in 1934, Narrabri West from 1934 until 1939, Chullora from 1940 until 1949; treasuer of the Redfern Branch of the Boilermaker's Union from 1949 until 1957; organiser with the Trades and Labor Council (TLC) from 1957 until 1958, assistant general secretary from 1958 until 1967, delegate with Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) in 1964, vice president from 1969 until 1975; secretary and general manager of 2KY from 1967 until 1975, director of TCN9 and 2HD Newcastle; delegate to International Labor Organisation conference in Geneva in 1962, 1974, Colombo in 1975; delegate of International Confederation of Free Trade Unions, West Berlin in 1962, Djakarta in 1970, Asian regional conferences in 1975, delegate to New Zealand Federation of Labour Conferences in 1967 and the All Union Central Council of Trade Unions, Union of Soviet Socialist Republics in 1972; represented the Trades and Labor Council on Industrial Relations Advisory Council, Committee on Discrimination in Employment and Occupation, and Productivity Promotions Committee; represented Australian Council of Trade Unions on National Labor Advisory Council.
Military Service
Honours Received
Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) 1975
Membership of other Parliaments & Offices Held
Local Government Activity
Personal
Son of Hugh Marsh, marine engineer and Irish migrant, and Jessie Benson. Married Irene Mary Kermode on 11 February 1933 and had issue, 2 daughters and 1 son. Roman Catholic. Funeral at St Monica's Catholic Church, North Parramatta and Forest Lawn Cemetery, Leppington.
Additional Information