BY STEPHEN O'BRIEN
NEWCASTLE — A memorial service for long-time activist and socialist Elfriede Burghardt was held here on November 27.
Burghardt was born in Germany in 1918 and grew up as part of an anti-fascist family living under the Nazis. She migrated after the second world war and settled in Newcastle where she found work as a cook and later as a secretary for the Newcastle branch of the Builders Labourers Federation.
Former Newcastle Trades Hall Council secretary Peter Barrack told the meeting that he first met Burghardt through her membership of the Communist Party and the Save Our Sons Movement, an organisation of women opposed to sending conscripts to the Vietnam War.
In those days, Barrack explained, the Vietnam War still had popular support. It took conviction to be honorary secretary of the local Vietnam Moratorium Campaign and go out and stick up posters and hand out leaflets. Burghardt also became active in the indigenous rights and anti-apartheid movements.
Later generations of activists and socialists came to know Burghardt through her volunteer work with the social research centre, the Workers Health Centre and the Workers Cultural Action Committee.
Until shortly before her death Burghardt spent two days a week at Trades Hall. She also regularly attended Trades Hall meetings as an honorary observer for the NSW Teachers Federation. Council secretary Garry Kennedy told the gathering that in recognition of her contribution Burghardt would be the first recipient of the organisation's meritous service award.
Burghardt was a trenchant critic of professional politicians of all varieties. She remained radical and youthful and an activist and socialist to the end.
From Green Left Weekly, December 12, 2001.
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