Great Depression and Aftermath Cold War New Left Contemporary Active Historical Frederick Woolnough Paterson (13 June 1897 – 7 October 1977) was an Australian politician, activist, unionist and lawyer.

He was educated at Brisbane Grammar School and then studied classics at the University of Queensland, before joining the military when the First World War broke out.

As the Great Depression set in, Paterson became involved in fighting racist employment policies in the sugar industry.

He spent his time juggling both a part-time legal career and his burgeoning role as a travelling activist for the Communist Party.

In 1939, Paterson stood successfully as an alderman for the Townsville City Council, becoming the first member of the Communist Party to win such an office in Australia.

[1][4] While Paterson had polled slightly behind his rival in Bowen itself, he was far in front in the mining and sugar-farming areas, which resulted in a significant victory.

[1][4] During his time in parliament, Paterson advocated for a "socialist post-war reconstruction" aimed at achieving full employment.

[5] These policies included increasing nurse salaries, the implementation of the 40 hour work week into law, equal pay for women, capping rents in relation to the average income, and abolishing child labor on farms.

He continued being actively involved in public issues, particularly through the union movement, and was a vocal critic of the government of the time.

[5] While Paterson was recovering, the Queensland branch of the veterans organisation Returned and Services League of Australia (RSL) expelled him for being a Communist.

Historian Ross Fitzgerald suggests that the redistribution was done deliberately to split Paterson's electoral support and prevent him from being returned to parliament in the 1950 election.

At the time, Prime Minister Robert Menzies was launching his anti-Communist campaign, and introducing legislation to prevent Communists from holding public office.