Family background
John Joseph Castle was born in Sydney on 31 October 1878, the son of William Castle and Sarah Byrnes. He married Annie May ‘Nance’ Phelan on 30 June 1906 at St Mary’s Cathedral, Sydney. The pair had 2 sons and 2 daughters. Castle died on 11 September 1943, aged 65 years, at his residence 92 Bourke Street, Redfern, and was buried in Randwick Cemetery.
Occupation & interests
John Castle worked as a tram conductor and driver. He was casually employed by the Tramway Branch of the Railway Commissioners of NSW from 31 October 1907, and permanently employed on 27 September 1907. A staunch unionist and Labor alderman he was explicitly anti communist and committed to social welfare.
Community activity
John Castle was elected President of the Redfern Electoral Council, a branch of the ALP. Castle was a Justice of the Peace (JP).
Local government service
John Castle was an alderman for the Surry Hills Ward of Redfern Council in 1922-34. He was mayor of Redfern in 1923 and 1933.
References
‘The Councils’, Sydney Morning Herald, 4 December 1922, p.10, https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/16049491
‘CASTLE John Joseph’, State Archives NSW, INX-95-7236, https://search.records.nsw.gov.au/permalink/f/1ebnd1l/INDEX2158959