Darby, Douglas, 1910 – 1985

Douglas Darby (1910-1985) was Member of the NSW Legislative Assembly for Manly from 1945 to 1978, and a staunch anti-Communist and pamphleteer who campaigned vigorously for the causes of Free China and the Captive Nations in the Communist Bloc. Born in England, Darby migrated to Australia in 1928. After a one-year short course at Sydney Teachers' College, he taught at a small bush school, Bannister, near Crookwell, NSW, where he became involved in civic affairs. From 1934 to 1940 he was on the staff of Mosman Public School. He had graduated Bachelor of Economics from Sydney University in 1938. Following the outbreak of World War II, Darby founded the British Orphans' Adoption Society (BOAS) and was later President of the NSW Branch and the Federal Executive.