David Moloney pays tribute to Labor identity and cooperative promoter, Race Mathews, who died in Melbourne on 5 May 2025.
On Friday 23 May 2025, the Hon. Dr Race Mathews was honoured with a state funeral. A leading Fabian, Prime Minister Gough Whitlam’s chief of staff and Victorian government minister, in retirement Race undertook doctoral studies under Fr Bruce Duncan, who is with us today.
Although not a Catholic, he was a passionate advocate for the YCW’s model of ‘economic democracy’, co-operatives and civil society. His books, Jobs of Our Own and Of Labour and Liberty, celebrated the Catholic and YCW co-operative legacy, internationally and in Victoria.
Race spoke powerfully at Cardijn Community Australia events, on one occasion at the Trades Hall alongside another giant, Malaysia’s Paul Sinnappan, who died three years ago today.
Paul, Asia’s ‘Barefoot Co-operator’, began by organising a YCS co-operative to fund ‘pencils and erasers’ for his fellow-students, children of ethnic Tamil plantation families.
Over his life, with wife Rebecca, and sometimes employed by the Malaysian bishops, he organized co-operatives for 64,000 poor Malaysian families, and many others across Asia. Rest in peace Race and Paul.
David Moloney
READ MORE
Gareth Evans, Remembering Race Mathews (Pearls and Irritations)
Race Mathews (Wikipedia)
Iola Mathews, Race Mathews, A life in politics (Monash University Press)
Remembering Malaysia’s ‘barefoot’ cooperator (Cardijn.info)
Malaysian ‘barefoot co-operator’ spellbinds audience (Cardijn Community Australia)