The Englart Family - a radical family portrait
Main Index

• Ted Englart
• Vince Englart and Kevin Englart
• John Englart

 

Ted Englart

• Ted Englart (1896-1982) - "The Workers will win"
  Obituaries on Ted Englart, former Secretary, Brisbane Branch of the Waterside Workers Federation, and prominent Queensland communist.
  • The Queensland Rail Strike 1948
    Ted Englart played a prominent role in the 1948 Rail Strike.

  • Workers control on the wharves of Brisbane - 1946
    Ted Englart helped organise this direct action on the wharves in 1946.

  • Homegrown Communism - recollections of the Young Communist League in 1930s Brisbane
    Some personal reminiscences by Ron Brown of growing up as a radical in Brisbane during the 1930's.

  
   

  Vince Englart and Kevin Englart

  Vince and Kevin Englart were both subject to blacklisting at the behest of A.S.I.O. and 'Special Branch' police and other Government agencies, because of their radical activities and being sons of a communist union official, Ted Englart. Documents in the National Archives clearly indicate some of this discrimination. Further research in Queensland public records, government and police archives is needed, but there is a clear indication that government sponsored blacklisting occurred. Because such blacklisting was done in secret behind closed doors, there was no accountability or right of appeal, or even knowledge as to the source of such discrimination.

  Such blacklisting for people actively engaging in the political process and social change should always be condemned in a democratic society. Yet, our secret police, such as A.S.I.O. and State 'Special Branch' police continue to collect and exchange data on individuals engaged in social change movements.

• Vince Englart - Social Activist (1923-2000) Obituary (Originally published Sydney Morning Herald - 04-12-2000)
  An expanded article on Vince Englart documents his blacklisting by ASIO. Vince was a model Australian communist and social activist for more than 60 years.
  • Raised a Radical - The Englarts in Brisbane 1920-1939 - Vince Englart
    Vince Englart's childhood recollections of growing up in a communist family in Brisbane during the 1920's and 30's. Interspersed with working class humor and social observation. Vince also describes the emigration of the Englarts and Nuss' from Baden, south west Germany to Toowoomba in the 1850s, and the Bourkes and Ryans from Ireland in the 1880s.

  • Vince's Parable of the Sundial at Workers Online Issue 61 or Local Version
    Vince Englart, a builders labourer, describes how he rescued the Brisbane Planetarium Sundial.

• Kevin Englart - Teacher (1925-2000) Obituary (originally published Sydney Morning Herald - 19-06-2000)
  An expanded article on Kevin Englart, who overcame political blacklisting by moving interstate. He was a dedicated teacher of mathematics for more than 30 years.
  
   

  John Englart

• Anarchism in Sydney 1975-1981 - John Englart
  A chronicle of anarchist activities and organisation in Sydney and Australia in the late 1970s.

• Using Structure in collectives - John Englart
  A well structured essay on the practical strengths and weaknesses of collective organisation from a practitioner and advocate of this form of organisation. Part of a collection of six essays on collective organisation.

  John Englart has been a member of collectively run bookshops since 1975, including being a founding member of the Jura Books Collective in Sydney in 1977, the Black Rose Anarchist Bookshop Collective in 1982, and Anarres Books in Melbourne from 1992 to 2008.

  As well as the anarchist movement, John has participated in the movement against uranium mining, and has had some activist involvement with Friends of the Earth and Greenpeace. As a dedicated cyclist, John has participated and organised several bike rides, including Rides against Uranium from Sydney to Canberra, and Broken Hill to Roxby Downs. John continues to ride his bicycle, commuting to work each day. Since 2004 he has been blogging on climate change related issues at the Climate Citizen blog, and more recently with Sustainable Fawkner and Climate Action Moreland.

  John can be contacted via Takver's Feedback form.