Brian Rooney

Wednesday, September 1, 1993 - 10:00

Brian Rooney

By Chris Spindler

ADELAIDE — Former State Secretary of the Socialist Party of Australia, Brian Rooney, died of cancer in Adelaide on August 13. He was 58.

Brian was a long term political activist, joining the Communist Party of Australia in 1957.

When differences developed within the Communist Party, Brian left to help form the Socialist Party. He served on a number of the party's leadership bodies, and became SPA state secretary in 1987. The greatest satisfaction he got from life was working for his class in the struggle for socialism.

In the late 1980s Brian was an enthusiastic participant in attempts to unify the socialist movement in Australia (particularly through the Socialist Alliance electoral campaign, sponsored by the SPA and the Democratic Socialist Party).

Brian was fond of music and literature, and was renowned for his dry sense of humour. He will be sorely missed.

From GLW issue 113