135 years of Union achievement
Queensland Teachers' Journal, Vol 129 No 4, 7 June 2024, page 26.
Today, more than 48,000 educators in Queensland schools and TAFEs choose to belong to the QTU. We are here to help you in times of difficulty, to negotiate better pay and conditions, and to work on your behalf to promote the teaching profession. This is something we have done for 135 years, and something that we will continue to do for many more to come.
To celebrate 135 years of Union achievement, we are taking a look back on some snapshots of Union history.
Elected by State Council, the QTU General Secretary has primary responsibility for the day-to-day administration of the Union.
Anthony St Ledger was the first General Secretary of the Queensland Teachers’ Union (1888-89). For over 10 years he worked to promote reform of the education system, and in 1895 founded, managed, and edited the Queensland Education Journal (now the Queensland Teachers’ Journal).
The position of General Secretary only became a full-time role in 1918. Long serving General Secretaries of the QTU included G.A Daughtrey (who the Biennial Conference art bequest is named after), L.G. Grulke (whose significant contributions to the Union were recognised when the QTU library was named after him), Graham Moloney, and John Battams (who forged close partnerships with the interunion movement and went on to become QCU President after resigning from his role as QTU General Secretary in 2012).
Currently the QTU General Secretary is a woman, Kate Ruttiman, the first time this has happened since the establishment of the QTU in 1889. Kate took the helm in January 2021, after holding the position of Deputy General Secretary of the QTU since 2010.
QTU General Secretaries
1888-1889 |
A.J. St Ledger |
1908-1910 1911-1917 1917-1935 1935-1956 1956-1971 1971-1980 1980-1990 1990-2012 2012-2021 2021- |
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