Bert Shard

Albert James Shard (13 August 1902 – 29 November 1991) was a politician in the State of South Australia.

History Bert Shard was born in Maldon, Victoria to Henry Shard (died 12 June 1928) and Charlotte Warren "Lot" Shard, née Peake, (ca.1870 – 20 February 1953) and left school at age 14, by which time he was living in Broken Hill. He worked in many jobs: as a barber's boy, shop assistant, cordial factory employee, bitumen spreader, and in a fruit packing shed at Merbein in 1919. The big strike of that year forced his parents to leave Broken Hill, and they moved to 3 Vine Street Prospect. In 1922, he was a shop assistant, and in 1924 he started driving a bread cart for Nicholls Bros. of Nailsworth.

He was a delegate to ALP Council meetings from 1928 as the representative of the Breadcarters' Union, and in 1936 became their full-time secretary, and greatly increased the influence of that organisation. He became a member of the Australian Labor Party executive in 1940, and held that position for many years.

Other interests He played lawn bowls and was for a time president of the Broadview Bowling Club.

He was a longtime supporter of junior football clubs in the North Adelaide district and a follower of the North Adelaide Football Club, and a committee member from 1940 to 1947, then was reelected in 1950.

Family He married Muriel Mavis Whiting in 1927; they had two sons: Bruce Walter Shard (1928–1999) Ross David Shard (10 September 1929 – ) They lived at Goldfinch Avenue, Cowandilla in 1925 and at 6 Le Cornu Street Broadview in 1950.

He had an older brother Walter Henry Shard (c. 1893 – 4 December 1951), born in Bendigo, worked and died in Broken Hill. Other siblings were Evelyn, Bessie and Leonard.