Kelly Hoare (Charlton, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On 10 November 2006, over 350 mourners gathered at the Ryhope memorial park for the funeral of mining union legend Jim Comerford. Mr Deputy Speaker, I will be seeking leave later to table the eulogy read out by my father, Bob Brown, at that funeral. The funeral for our good friend Jim was one of the most extraordinary funerals I have ever attended. If members just close their eyes a bit they may imagine a coffin being brought into the hall, carried by six mine workers with their lights switched on and taken up to the front table. The funeral parlour was filled with Jim’s friends and comrades, all there to bid him a hearty farewell and to say thank you.

The MC at the funeral was Tony Maher, the General President of the CFMEU Mining and Energy Division, and there was a eulogy also read out by Jim’s good friend Paddy Gorman, the editor of Common Cause. I will quote Bob’s eulogy where he talks about Paddy’s contribution. He said, ‘It was an outstanding, sensitive, comprehensive, personal and compassionate statement from Paddy to say farewell to a much-loved comrade.’

Following Paddy’s eulogy we had the people’s choir from Newcastle singing Solidarity Forever. Behind me were sitting two former Liberal ministers, Wal Fife and Milton Morris, and they stood up and belted out the lyrics of Solidarity Forever with the rest of us, so great was the respect that they had for Jim Comerford.

Jim’s body was piped into the funeral parlour as well. Following the people’s choir and our all singing Solidarity Forever, Bob Brown—my father, former member for Hunter and very good friend of Jim Comerford—gave his eulogy. Jim’s grandson Bruce then delivered a moving tribute to his grandfather. Following that, as the curtains closed around Jim’s coffin the six coalminers turned their lights off to the sounds of local girl Tara Naysmith’s version of Workin’ Man. Mr Deputy Speaker, as you can imagine, there was not a dry eye in the house.

As members would know, Jim Comerford was one of the last three surviving miners from the Rothbury lockout in 1929 and his whole life was devoted to bettering the working conditions of working people, particularly coalminers. Jim Comerford was proud to be a socialist and he actually asked my father to make sure that he made reference to his commitment to socialism. He also asked Bob to quote from the only reference to mining in the Christian Bible. That reference to mining is in Job, chapter 28. As Bob said, it was an appropriate reference for Jim Comerford because it combines mining with the concept of wisdom: ‘Iron is taken out of the earth and brass is molten out of the stone. But where shall wisdom be found? And where is the place of understanding? It cannot be gotten for gold; for the price of wisdom is beyond rubies.’ Jim Comerford pursued wisdom and in the process found socialism.

Reg and my family would like to convey our deepest sympathy and condolences to Mabel Comerford, Jim’s lifelong partner; his daughter, Jean, and son-in-law, Tony; his grandchildren, Bruce and Helen; and his great-grandchildren, Matthew and Callen. They are all very proud to be able to call Jim Comerford their dad, husband, grandfather and great-grandfather, as we are all proud to be able to call Jim Comerford our friend. For the labour movement as a whole, Jim Comerford is an inspiration, somebody who made the lives of working people today much better. I seek leave to table the eulogy.

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