Steve Georganas (Hindmarsh, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is an honour for me to pay tribute to a tireless community advocate from my electorate of Hindmarsh who sadly passed away recently, Mr William Braham. He will be missed by all. He was a very good and a great man. He was born in 1920 and dedicated his working life and much of his retirement to community work and to the union movement. In particular, Bill worked tirelessly to improve workers' superannuation and took on leadership positions with SA Superannuants.

Mr Braham successfully represented the template-makers in the Vehicle Builders Union in 1964, before Commissioner Murray Stewart. He also lobbied for an appeal board for daily paid workers and was appointed to the board when it was established. Between 1957 and 1978, Bill was a representative member to the Vehicle Builders Union Superannuation Federation. Subsequently he was transferred to the Railway Transport Officers Association and made a representative to the Australian Services Union, or the Federated Clerks Union as it was known back then.

Bill Braham was also a member of local bowling clubs in my electorate for over 50 years, a remarkable achievement. He joined the Railways Bowling Club in 1955 and the Grange Bowling Club in 1968, where he became a life member. Grange Bowling Club had a remarkable history of achievement with approximately 10 of its members having played for Australia. I was delighted to be asked by Bill, when I was first elected, to become the patron of the Grange Bowling Club and I have enjoyed visiting the club at each opportunity to share the members' sense of fun and community spirit. Bill would engage me in conversations about the union movement of the past, the labour movement and history.

Bill was also a lifelong member of the Freemasons and was very active and committed in this role, making an enormous contribution. He held a number of positions within the Freemasons. When he moved to the Masonic Homes Somerton Park retirement village in my electorate he continued his service to the community, becoming an advocate for senior Australians. Many times he asked me to go to the Masonic Homes at Somerton Park to talk to residents who had issues or problems that we tried to solve. Even in his later life he was always advocating on behalf of other people. In the words of Doug Strain, CEO of Masonic Homes, 'Bill was one of the true believers, always acting in the best interests of the people who he represented.'

This month would have marked Bill and Joyce Braham's 70th wedding anniversary. I extend my sincere condolences to Mrs Joyce Braham and her family on their loss. Bill will be sadly missed by many people in the Hindmarsh community, in the Masonic Homes, in the Freemasons and in the Grange Bowling Club.