Elijah John Carey

Elijah John Carey (20 August 1876 – 14 October 1916) was a New Zealand waiter, trade unionist and soldier.

Biography Early life He was born in Gympie, Queensland, Australia on 20 August 1876. After originally working as a miner, he became an apprentice printer, picking up press skills he would use later in life, before leaving to travel abroad. Carey travelled through Europe, the United States and South America where he worked as a steward on steamships and as a waiter in several hotels.

In the early 1890s he returned to Australia and became involved in the Labour movement. Moving to Western Australia, once again he had little success in mining, but became involved in trade unionism there, serving on the Coolgardie Trades Council. By 1902 Carey was living in Sydney working as a waiter where he was active in Australian Labour politics and he is said to have even been a personal friend of both Andrew Fisher and Billy Hughes.

Carey Street in Mitchelltown, Wellington, was named after him.