Albert Ernest Monk

Albert Ernest Monk CMG (16 September 1900 – 11 February 1975) was an Australian trade unionist. He served as both President and Secretary of the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) for a total of 35 years; first as President from 1934 to 1943, then Secretary from 1943 to 1949, and then President again from 1949 to 1969.

Early life Monk was born on 16 September 1900 in Waltham Abbey, Essex, England. He was the son of Ada Kate (née Dennis) and Ernest George Monk.

Monk and his family emigrated to Australia in about 1910, where his father – a munitions expert – worked at the Maribyrnong Cordite Factory. He attended a state school in Moonee Ponds and later attended a business college where he learned shorthand. After completing his education he worked as a clerk for the Carters' and Drivers' Union. He retired to Moonee Ponds and died in Fitzroy on 11 February 1975, aged 74.