Family background
Allan Keith Jones was born in Rennie Street, Paddington, in 1923. He grew up in Paddington, attending the local school, Paddington Public School, right through to his senior year. Keith then transferred to Ultimo Technical College and trained as a carpenter.
Occupation & interests
Halfway through his carpenter training, at the age of 16, Keith Allan joined the Australian Army in the artillery, in what was known as ‘T’ Heavy Battery. He was stationed at Malabar Heavy Battery and later at Cronulla.
During his time in the armed forces, Keith remembers being frightened of the Japanese, who passed over his unit before they bombed Newcastle, where a total of six shells were dropped. He enjoyed his army service, and ended up being stationed at ‘T’ Heavy Battery on Magnetic Island in Queensland. It was here, while protecting the mainland from Japanese attack, that his unit saw their first submarine; it was American. When the submarine was observed coming into the harbour at Townsville, Keith and the other men in his unit informed the Victoria Barracks in Sydney.
After the war, Keith became an Alderman on the City of Sydney Council, representing the Paddington Ward from 1950 to 1953. Keith was very active during his time as an Alderman, serving on the Finance Committee, the City Planning and Improvements Committee, the Works Committee and the Health and Recreations Committee. He didn’t reapply for the position after his three year term because he continued in the carpentry industry instead.
There was a boom in housing construction in the post-war period and into the 1950s. There was a good amount of work for carpenters at this time, which was paid for by the government. Keith used his carpentry skills to build a range of cottages around the Sydney metropolitan area. The cottages he built were mainly for ex-servicemen and he was paid for this work by the housing commission.
Local government service
Allan Jones was an Alderman for Paddington Ward, 2 December 1950 to 4 December 1953. He was a member of the Finance Committee and the City Planning and Improvements Committee in 1951. He was a member of the Works Committee and the Health and Recreations Committee in 1952-53.
References
City of Sydney Archives: Aldermen’s Files
Information supplied by Allan Keith Jones in 2014