Hughie Williams

Activist Williams dedicated his life to fighting injustices and was instrumental in the protests against the Springboks Tour in the 1970s.

Wrestling and early life Williams was raised in the coalmining area of Maitland in NSW. in the light-heavyweight freestyle (<97kgs) division and was involved in organising for Brisbane's 1982 Commonwealth Games.Williams was elected a Gold Life member of Wrestling Australia for his service as a volunteer and committee member. Exhibition notes for Rockhampton's Museum of Art WrestleMANIA exhibition notes that Rockhampton was a stronghold for Williams. Brett MacAnally's poem "The Paddo of my youth" contains the line "Hughie Williams taught the Wrestling" at the PYC.

Books Murray Johnson's biography of Williams "No holds barred: Hughie Williams: Olympic wrestler and trade union heavyweight" was published in 2003 by the Central Queensland University Press.

In 2009 former Federal ALP leader and Deputy Prime Minister, Kim Beazley AC launched Williams' autobiography "A Life". The launch attended was by the then Labor Premier Anna Bligh AC and Campbell Newman AO (who defeated Bligh in the 2012 state election).

Union Cooperative Society Williams and others assisted Qld Labor figure George Georges in establishing the Union Cooperative Society. Williams was Chair of the Coop in the 1990s. during Georges' and Williams time, the Paddington Workers Club was established. Senator Clair Moore recalls a large picture of Williams in his wrestling gear in the entrance of the club.

Hughie Williams Park Brisbane Council has named a park in Cecil Road, Bardon, a suburb of which Williams was a resident, the Hughie Williams Park.