Coal miner, champion of the working class, women's advocate, honorary Aboriginal elder, musician, boxer, author and loving family man, Fred Moore was many things to many people.
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But all who knew him agreed he was an extraordinary human being, a man who treated everyone, friend or foe, with respect and dignity.
Wollongong labour movement legend Fred Moore, died peacefully last Friday, surrounded by family just short of his 100th birthday.
"The greatest South Coast unionist ever to march the streets" is how Mr Moore was described in a joint statement from the South Coast Labour Council and the miners' union, the CFMEU.
He was hailed as a champion of working people, Indigenous people, women and peace. He had a knack for bringing out the best in others; when he spoke, people listened.
Unionist Paddy Gorman said Mr Moore treated people with unparalleled respect, regardless of how charged a room might be.
"People who are bitter enemies - for Fred they'll put their differences aside and give him their best," he said.
"Fred's not only made a lot of history, he made sure the history of ordinary people and mining communities has been told as well."
Mr Moore's father was a coal miner, and he grew up in the Great Depression.
He remembered seeing the arches of the Sydney Harbour Bridge come together, and his great-grandmother was a friend of poet Henry Lawson's mum.
He was pulled out of school early to help the family make a living, but always maintained a love for music, literature - and boxing.
"Fred is a Renaissance man - when he was younger he was a champion boxer and a brilliant musician," Mr Gorman said.
"Everything he's touched he's good at."
He co-wrote two books on the oral histories of coal miners, and in a move typical of him, Mr Moore did just as much to advance the cause of women involved in the mining community as he did the men.
He's one of only two people every made an honorary member of the miners women's auxiliary; he's one of a miniscule number of non-Indigenous people to be made an honorary Aboriginal elder.
In 1961 he was the driving force together with emerging First Nations leaders in establishing the South Coast Aboriginal Advancement League.
During the 1967 referendum to extend citizenship and voting rights to Aboriginal Australians he collected "tens of thousands" of signatures.
Richard Davis, chairperson of the Illawarra Aboriginal Corporation said Mr Moore was a "legend" in his community from as early as he could remember.
"He was a selfless man who fought for the rights of anyone who was downtrodden," Mr Davis said.
"Whatever he did he did to the best of his ability, and his ability was of the highest level. He was true to his word, he never said a bad word about anyone, and he led from the front.
"You could say everything and it still wouldn't be enough; he was a great man and one of a kind."
Mr Moore was made a life member of many organisations, including his own Mining and Energy Union, the South Coast Labour Council and the Maritime Union of Australia.
A mark of the esteem in which Mr Moore was held was that when the coronavirus caused the 2020 May Day march to be cancelled for the first time, unions instead took the "march" to his house and set up on his front lawn.
The May Day movement, the annual marches, toasts and activities were Mr Moore's favourite annual events as he took pride in marching at the head of both the Wollongong and Sydney parades and as a life member of both committees.
His 99th birthday in September 2021 exemplified the esteem Mr Moore was held in by the entire community.
Although the pandemic meant it had to be celebrated via Zoom, it was still attended by an exuberant crowd of friends, family, unionists and politicians.
"The working class, social justice and International solidarity movements have lost a giant but gained so much from his leadership, comradeship, courage and principle," the joint union statement from Arthur Rorris, Andy Davey and Paddy Gorman said.
"From the southern coal fields he emerged as leader but was not content with increasing the pay, conditions and safety of miners under the ground, he led the struggle above the ground as well for peace and socialism and an end to racism and exploitation in all its forms.
"Fred leaves us a legacy of struggle, solidarity and working class leadership that will drive and inspire workers, activists and champions for justice for many generations to come."
His funeral will be held on February 3 at the Kembla Grange Race Course.
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