A Spanner in the works - John Siddons an Autobiography

A Spanner in the works - John Siddons an Autobiography

A Spanner in the Works: John Siddons An Autobiography (1990)

• Used hardback in good condition:

• Length: 247 pages + plates.

Content & Structure

• The book covers Siddons’s life from his early days in Melbourne, through his involvement in his father’s industrial business, his own innovations (particularly with the Ramset tool gun), and the growth and challenges of Siddons Industries.

• It then transitions to his shift into politics: motivations for entering the political arena (including experiences that made him reflect on the nature of work, management, and democracy), his role in small parties and eventual election to the Senate.

• He writes about his philosophy of industrial democracy, workplace reform, and critiques of business and government relationships.

• The later sections address his time in parliament, the internal dynamics of the Australian Democrats, his split from the party, and reflections on Australian industry, manufacturing decline, and national policy.

• Interspersed with anecdotes from business life (factory floors, tool-making, union relations), personal reflections and the tensions between profit-driven business and more idealistic visions of workplace participation.

Key Themes

• Workplace reform & industrial democracy: How a manufacturing leader can push not only for better productivity, but also for more inclusive decision-making and break away from traditional top-down models.

• Manufacturing in Australia & national self-reliance: Siddons gives voice to the idea of maintaining strong local manufacturing capability in the face of overseas competition and globalisation.

• Political idealism vs practical business realities: His shift into politics is framed as an extension of his business ethicâhe didn’t just want to make money, he wanted to change how work was done and how decisions were made.

• Small-party politics and the outsider: His political journey illustrates the difficulties of operating outside the major parties, the internal divisions, and the tensions between principle and pragmatism.

• Personal tensions & family legacy: The book also deals with his relationship with his father (industrialist Royston Siddons), generational conflict, and how those dynamics influenced his approach to business and politics.

Significance & Reception

• The title itself â A Spanner in the Works â is a play on words: referencing the tool-making business (spanner = wrench) and also the idea of disruption or reform (“throwing a spanner in the works”).

• It offers a combined business + political autobiography, providing insight into Australian manufacturing history, labour relations, and the intersection of business and public policy.

• For readers interested in Australian industry, politics of the 1970s-80s, and the role of independent voices, this book is a useful resource.

Points of Interest/Limitations

• Since it is an autobiography, the narrative is from Siddons’s perspective: some critics might argue the tone is favourable and that certain contentious episodes might be downplayed. (As with many autobiographies.)

• Because the focus is broad (business and politics), some readers seeking deep detail in one area (e.g., technical manufacturing history or detailed parliamentary debate) may find the coverage variable.

• It is more of a “personal story of change” than a purely academic business or political history.

  About John Siddons:

• Born: 5 October 1927 in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.

• Died: 22 September 2016.

• Family & early life: He was the only son of Royston Siddons (an industrialist who founded the tool-making business behind the Sidchrome brand) and Agnes Emily (nÃe Smith).He attended Ivanhoe State School, Preston Technical School, and later Wesley College (1943-45). He did not matriculate, as he was eager to join his father’s business.

• Business career: He worked his way up in the family business, Siddons Industries Ltd (SIL), starting as a drop-hammer operator in 1945, then managing the Australian franchise of the Ramset tool gun (from 1952) and ultimately becoming Chairman.

• Industrial philosophy: Siddons was known for promoting ideas of industrial democracy in the workplace â e.g., employee share ownership, work-cells rather than rigid hierarchies â drawing on his early factory experience.

• Political career:

  • He initially engaged in smaller parties (such as the Australia Party) before helping form the Australian Democrats.

  • He served as a Senator for Victoria: first term from 1 July 1981 to 4 February 1983, and a second term from 1 July 1985 to 5 June 1987.

  • He left the Australian Democrats in 1986, founded the Unite Australia Party, but was defeated in the 1987 election.

• Legacy: He is remembered as an unusual mix: industrialist and business leader who nonetheless advocated for more participatory workplace structures and independently minded politics. His work contributed both to Australian manufacturing (tools, fastening systems) and to smaller-party political activism.

A Spanner in the works - John Siddons an Autobiography