Union leader Jack Mundey farewelled in state funeral
Trade union leader and environmentalist Jack Mundey has been farewelled today with a state funeral.
NSW
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Trade union leader and environmentalist Jack Mundey — who campaigned to protect some of Sydney’s most famous sites from development — has been farewelled today with a state funeral.
Mr Mundey died in May last year, aged 90.
He was best known for leading the green ban movement to prevent the redevelopment of historical areas of Sydney in the 1970s, including The Rocks and Woolloomooloo.
The memorial service — which was delayed last year due to the coronavirus restrictions — was held in Sydney Town Hall.
The unions, Labor and Greens politicians paid tribute to the former NSW Builders Labourers Federation leader including CFMMEU national secretary Dave Noonan who described Mr Mundey as a “leader” who left a “lasting legacy” on Sydney.
“There is so much of Jack in the City of Sydney. His life is written in brick and stone and timber and concrete, in the beautiful historic buildings of the Rocks, Millers Point, Glebe, Wollomolloo,” Mr Noonan said.
“It‘s written in the ongoing lives of the construction workers, who escaped death and broken bodies and who fought the endless struggles for safety.”
Mr Mundey rose to prominence in Sydney as the leader of the NSW Builders Labourers Federation, a role he assumed in 1968.
As Sydney entered a construction boom in the 1970s, Mr Mundey’s BLF instituted 40 green bans throughout the city, a type of strike in which union members refused to work on projects it viewed as socially or environmentally undesirable.
Aside from The Rocks, the green bans movement is also credited with saving Woolloomooloo from a high-rise office block and hotels plan, with most of the area instead retained for social housing at the time.
Mr Mundey is survived by his second wife Judith, who paid tribute to her last husband who she joined in many campaigns.
“(Jack) utilised his position and influence for public good and social advancement,” she said.
“He was courageous and calm in the face of some difficult and unpleasant situations … He was inspired and inspiring. His lives helped enrich the lives of others.
“He leaves an ongoing legacy, he was, he was loving and much loved.”
Two portraits were on display, including one painted by Mr Mundey’s goddaughter Justine Muller, whose artwork is part of the Archibald 2020 finalists.
“Jack was a visionary who never lost sight of the beauty or potential in the old and the importance of history,” Muller said.
“His eyes are painted green as a symbol of his vision for a greener planet. My portrait is in homage to Jack. He may no longer be with us, but his legacy will live on forever.”
Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore praised Mr Mundey for his “fearless commitment” and whose influence “spread from Sydney to places across Australia and beyond”.
Other tributes included from former president of the Legislative Council Dr Meredith Burgmann and former Greens senator Lee Rhiannon, who credited Mr Mundey for “inspiring people to take action”.
Mr Mundey remained active in the union after leading the NSW BLF from 1968 to 1975.
His heritage battles continued late in life, campaigning to protect heritage sites such as the Bondi Pavilion and the Sirius apartments in The Rocks.
More recently, Mr Mundey had been involved in the campaign to save Sydney’s Sirius public housing building from being sold off by the government.
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