About Hilton
I am a first-generation Australian, the son of a migrant and a refugee.
My mother, Isabella, arrived in Australia at 20 years of age from Dunfermline, Scotland, in 1963. Her father served in the Polish army and returned to Scotland at the end of World War II to marry my grandmother.
My father, Jonas, who sadly passed on his 52nd birthday in 1994, was better known to the family as 'Johnny' and to his workmates as 'Jack'. He was a refugee from Lithuania. Accompanied by his mother and what remained of his brothers and sisters, they made their way through war-torn Europe, moving from one displaced persons camp to another, eventually arriving in Australia and ultimately settling in Adelaide in the late 1940s.
I am a proud unionist, former first-class Machinist and Fitter, and a strong advocate for South Australian workers and their families.
I loved my time in defence manufacturing. Beyond manual machining and fitting, I 3D modeled and programmed CNC machining centres. I assembled key components for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter and the Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile, but I’m most proud of my work on the Nulka active missile decoy.
Throughout my working life, I fought tirelessly for members of the Australian Manufacturing Workers’ Union, serving as a workplace delegate and as Convenor of the National Defence and Aerospace Committee.
My wife Rosalind and I raised our family grounded in the values of fairness and solidarity. Both of our children were educated in South Australia’s public school system and went on to build successful careers—a reflection of the opportunities created by Labor policies.
I understand firsthand how secure work, strong public services and Labor values create opportunity and stability for working families.
