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Barry Jones (Australian politician)
Encyclopedia
Barry Owen Jones AO
, FAA
, FASSA
, FAHA
, FTSE
, FACE
(born 11 October 1932) is a writer, lawyer, social activist, quiz champion and former politician. He campaigned against the death penalty
throughout the 1960s, particularly against the execution of Ronald Ryan
, and remains against capital punishment. He is on the National Trust
's list of Australian Living Treasures
.
, where he studied arts and law. He began his career as a schoolteacher at Dandenong High School
, where he taught for nine years, before becoming a household name as an Australian quiz champion in 1960 on Bob Dyer
's Pick a Box
, a radio show from 1948, televised from 1957. He was famous for taking issue with Dyer about certain expected answers, most famously in response to a question about "the first British Governor-General of India", where he pointed out that Warren Hastings
was only technically Governor of Bengal. Barry Jones' appearances on Pick a Box lasted from 1960 to 1968. An excerpt of Episode 170 of Pick a Box
, featuring Jones has been published on australianscreen online.
As a forward thinking man he famously claimed in the future there would be more computers than cars in Tasmania
. Nation-wide people responded with laughter and ridicule. Australians thought the claim was absurd and nonsense.
Barry Jones also tried his hand at broadcasting on Melbourne radio, in the mid-1960s. He was one of the pioneers of talkback radio
, working at 3DB in Melbourne. His show Talkback to Barry Jones and Mike Walsh
's show on Sydney's 2SM
were Australia's first talkback shows. Jones believes that modern talkback shows have a much narrower focus than the original shows did. He says "I was trying to convey to people a sense of what they didn't know rather than simply talk about football or pets. My emphasis was on using talkback as an instrument for exposing people to new ideas and challenging them, rather than just reinforcing the ideas they already held."
(ALP) from 1950, Jones was a Federal candidate in 1955
, 1958
and 1963, with a strong interest in education and civil liberties
.
Jones' political career began in the Victorian Parliament
where he represented the electorate of Melbourne
as a Labor Member of the Legislative Assembly
(MLA) from 1972 to 1977, when he resigned to go into federal politics.
In 1977
, he was elected to the House of Representatives
as the Labor member for the Federal seat of Lalor
in Victoria, which he held until his retirement in 1998. He was Minister for Science
in the Hawke
government from 1983 to 1990, in which role he presided over the growth of organisations such as the CSIRO
, the creation of the Australia Prize
, Questacon and the Commission for the Future. Jones lost his place in the ministry when he failed to gain the backing of his centre-left faction.
In 1992, upon the resignation of Stephen Loosley, to whom he had lost the position in a split vote in 1991, he was elected National President of the ALP, serving until 2000. He became National President again in 2005–06.
Jones was the chief architect of the ALP's Knowledge Nation
education concept, as chair of the Chifley Research Centre
's Knowledge Nation Taskforce. During this time he was also a member of the Council of the National Library of Australia
.
He was the Vice-President of the World Heritage Committee
from 1995 to 1996 and a member of the Executive Board of UNESCO
from 1991 until 1995.
Jones and Ian Sinclair
served as co-chairs of the 1998 Constitutional Convention
on an Australian republic.
and Master of Arts
. Jones holds the honorary degrees of Doctor of Letters
from the University of Technology, Sydney
and University of Wollongong
, Doctor of Science
from Macquarie University
and Doctor of Law
s from the University of Melbourne.
In 1999 he was appointed an Adjunct Professor at Monash University
and became a Vice-Chancellor's Fellow at the University of Melbourne in 2005.
He is a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science
(FAA); a Fellow of the Australian Academy of the Humanities
(FAHA); a Fellow of the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia
(FASSA); and a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering
(FTSE): he was the first (and so far the only) person elected Fellow of all four Australian learned academies. In 1999 he was elected a Visiting Fellow Commoner at Trinity College, Cambridge
.
He is also a Fellow of the Australian College of Educators
(FACE).
He now chairs the Port Arthur
Historic Site Management Authority and serves on the boards of six medical research institutes.
On 31 October 2008, Jones was also appointed to serve on the board of the Victorian Opera
.
He appeared regularly as a member of the Brains Trust on the television quiz show The Einstein Factor
. He mentioned on an episode of the show that he likes to watch his Wikipedia page grow.
On 9 April 2010, The Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research, Senator Kim Carr
announced the formation of the Book Industry Strategy Group (BISG) with Jones as Chair. Further information on BISG, including making public submissions (until 31 January 2011) is available.
Barry Jones Bay in the Australian Antarctic Territory
and Yalkaparidon jonesi
, an extinct marsupial
, were named after him. He is also is the owner of the largest private autograph
collection in Australia.
Order of Australia
The Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, "for the purpose of according recognition to Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or for meritorious service"...
, FAA
Australian Academy of Science
The Australian Academy of Science was founded in 1954 by a group of distinguished Australians, including Australian Fellows of the Royal Society of London. The first president was Sir Mark Oliphant. The Academy is modelled after the Royal Society and operates under a Royal Charter; as such it is...
, FASSA
Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia
The Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia is an autonomous, non-governmental organisation, devoted to the advancement of knowledge and research in the social sciences. It was established in 1971...
, FAHA
Australian Academy of the Humanities
The Australian Academy of the Humanities was established by Royal Charter in 1969 to advance scholarship and public interest in the humanities in Australia...
, FTSE
Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering
The Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering is an independent non-government organization dedicated to the promotion in Australia of scientific and engineering knowledge to practical purposes. Professor Robin Batterham is the current President of ATSE....
, FACE
Australian College of Educators
The Australian College of Educators is the principal organisation representing the field of teaching and education in Australia, and acts as the independent interest body for Australian teachers...
(born 11 October 1932) is a writer, lawyer, social activist, quiz champion and former politician. He campaigned against the death penalty
Capital punishment
Capital punishment, the death penalty, or execution is the sentence of death upon a person by the state as a punishment for an offence. Crimes that can result in a death penalty are known as capital crimes or capital offences. The term capital originates from the Latin capitalis, literally...
throughout the 1960s, particularly against the execution of Ronald Ryan
Ronald Ryan
Ronald Joseph Ryan was the last person to be legally executed in Australia. Ryan was found guilty of shooting and killing prison officer George Hodson during a prison escape from Pentridge Prison, Victoria in 1965...
, and remains against capital punishment. He is on the National Trust
National Trust of Australia
The Australian Council of National Trusts is the peak body for community-based, non-government organisations committed to promoting and conserving Australia's indigenous, natural and historic heritage....
's list of Australian Living Treasures
Australian Living Treasures
Australian Living Treasures are people who have been nominated by the National Trust of Australia. The first list of 100 Living Treasures was published in 1997....
.
Early life
Barry Jones was born in Geelong, Victoria and educated at Melbourne High School and the University of MelbourneUniversity of Melbourne
The University of Melbourne is a public university located in Melbourne, Victoria. Founded in 1853, it is the second oldest university in Australia and the oldest in Victoria...
, where he studied arts and law. He began his career as a schoolteacher at Dandenong High School
Dandenong High School
Dandenong High School is one of the largest co-educational government schools in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The school caters for students from Years 7 to 12...
, where he taught for nine years, before becoming a household name as an Australian quiz champion in 1960 on Bob Dyer
Bob Dyer
Robert "Bob" Dies OBE , who took the stage name of Bob Dyer, was an American-born vaudeville entertainer, radio personality, and radio and television quiz show host who made his name in Australia. Dyer is best known for the long-running radio and then television quiz show, Pick a Box...
's Pick a Box
Pick a Box
Pick a Box was one of first game shows to be broadcast on Australian television. Hosted by the husband and wife team Bob and Dolly Dyer, the program aired from 1957 to 1971.- History :...
, a radio show from 1948, televised from 1957. He was famous for taking issue with Dyer about certain expected answers, most famously in response to a question about "the first British Governor-General of India", where he pointed out that Warren Hastings
Warren Hastings
Warren Hastings PC was the first Governor-General of India, from 1773 to 1785. He was famously accused of corruption in an impeachment in 1787, but was acquitted in 1795. He was made a Privy Councillor in 1814.-Early life:...
was only technically Governor of Bengal. Barry Jones' appearances on Pick a Box lasted from 1960 to 1968. An excerpt of Episode 170 of Pick a Box
Pick a Box
Pick a Box was one of first game shows to be broadcast on Australian television. Hosted by the husband and wife team Bob and Dolly Dyer, the program aired from 1957 to 1971.- History :...
, featuring Jones has been published on australianscreen online.
As a forward thinking man he famously claimed in the future there would be more computers than cars in Tasmania
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
. Nation-wide people responded with laughter and ridicule. Australians thought the claim was absurd and nonsense.
Barry Jones also tried his hand at broadcasting on Melbourne radio, in the mid-1960s. He was one of the pioneers of talkback radio
Talk radio
Talk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues. Most shows are regularly hosted by a single individual, and often feature interviews with a number of different guests. Talk radio typically includes an element of listener participation, usually by broadcasting live...
, working at 3DB in Melbourne. His show Talkback to Barry Jones and Mike Walsh
Mike Walsh (TV host)
Mike Walsh OBE was host of The Mike Walsh Show from 1973 until 1985. Walsh is the only entertainer to be awarded the Sammy Award and Gold Logie award in the same year....
's show on Sydney's 2SM
2SM
2SM is an Australian radio station, licensed to and serving Sydney, New South Wales, broadcasting on 1269 kilohertz on the AM band. It is owned and operated by Broadcast Operations Group...
were Australia's first talkback shows. Jones believes that modern talkback shows have a much narrower focus than the original shows did. He says "I was trying to convey to people a sense of what they didn't know rather than simply talk about football or pets. My emphasis was on using talkback as an instrument for exposing people to new ideas and challenging them, rather than just reinforcing the ideas they already held."
Political career
A member of the Australian Labor PartyAustralian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
(ALP) from 1950, Jones was a Federal candidate in 1955
Australian federal election, 1955
Federal elections were held in Australia on 10 December 1955. All 122 seats in the House of Representatives, and 30 of the 60 seats in the Senate were up for election. The incumbent Liberal Party of Australia led by Prime Minister of Australia Robert Menzies with coalition partner the Country Party...
, 1958
Australian federal election, 1958
Federal elections were held in Australia on 22 November 1958. All 122 seats in the House of Representatives, and 32 of the 60 seats in the Senate were up for election...
and 1963, with a strong interest in education and civil liberties
Civil liberties
Civil liberties are rights and freedoms that provide an individual specific rights such as the freedom from slavery and forced labour, freedom from torture and death, the right to liberty and security, right to a fair trial, the right to defend one's self, the right to own and bear arms, the right...
.
Jones' political career began in the Victorian Parliament
Parliament of Victoria
The Parliament of Victoria is the bicameral legislature of the Australian state of Victoria. It follows a Westminster-derived parliamentary system and consists of The Queen, represented by the Governor of Victoria; the Legislative Council ; and the Legislative Assembly...
where he represented the electorate of Melbourne
Electoral district of Melbourne
The Electoral district of Melbourne is an electorate of the Victorian Legislative Assembly. It is currently based around the localities of Carlton, North Carlton, Melbourne, East Melbourne, West Melbourne, North Melbourne, Parkville, Newmarket, Kensington and Flemington, and includes Melbourne...
as a Labor Member of the Legislative Assembly
Member of the Legislative Assembly
A Member of the Legislative Assembly or a Member of the Legislature , is a representative elected by the voters of a constituency to the legislature or legislative assembly of a sub-national jurisdiction....
(MLA) from 1972 to 1977, when he resigned to go into federal politics.
In 1977
Australian federal election, 1977
Federal elections were held in Australia on 10 December 1977. All 124 seats in the House of Representatives, and 34 of the 64 seats in the Senate, were up for election....
, he was elected to the House of Representatives
Australian House of Representatives
The House of Representatives is one of the two houses of the Parliament of Australia; it is the lower house; the upper house is the Senate. Members of Parliament serve for terms of approximately three years....
as the Labor member for the Federal seat of Lalor
Division of Lalor
The Division of Lalor is an Australian Electoral Division in the state of Victoria. It is located in the outer western suburbs of Melbourne. It includes the suburbs of Werribee, Point Cook, Laverton, Rockbank and Melton....
in Victoria, which he held until his retirement in 1998. He was Minister for Science
Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research (Australia)
The current Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research is Kim Carr, appointed on 3 December 2007. He administers his portfolio through the Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research.-List of Ministers for Industry :...
in the Hawke
Bob Hawke
Robert James Lee "Bob" Hawke AC GCL was the 23rd Prime Minister of Australia from March 1983 to December 1991 and therefore longest serving Australian Labor Party Prime Minister....
government from 1983 to 1990, in which role he presided over the growth of organisations such as the CSIRO
Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation
The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation is the national government body for scientific research in Australia...
, the creation of the Australia Prize
Australia Prize
The Australia Prize was Australia's pre-eminent prize for scientific research from 1990 until 2000, when it was replaced by the Prime Minister's Prizes for Science. The award was international, 10 of the 28 recipients were not Australians.-Recipients:...
, Questacon and the Commission for the Future. Jones lost his place in the ministry when he failed to gain the backing of his centre-left faction.
In 1992, upon the resignation of Stephen Loosley, to whom he had lost the position in a split vote in 1991, he was elected National President of the ALP, serving until 2000. He became National President again in 2005–06.
Jones was the chief architect of the ALP's Knowledge Nation
Knowledge Nation
Knowledge Nation was the education policy of the Australian Labor Party , launched just before the 2001 Federal Election at Victoria University's St Albans campus, by then ALP leader Kim Beazley....
education concept, as chair of the Chifley Research Centre
Chifley Research Centre
The Chifley Research Centre is the Australian Labor Party's official policy development institute. Many ALP policies are conceived and developed at this centre.-Equivalents:* Liberals: Menzies Research Centre* Nationals: Page Research Centre...
's Knowledge Nation Taskforce. During this time he was also a member of the Council of the National Library of Australia
National Library of Australia
The National Library of Australia is the largest reference library of Australia, responsible under the terms of the National Library Act for "maintaining and developing a national collection of library material, including a comprehensive collection of library material relating to Australia and the...
.
He was the Vice-President of the World Heritage Committee
World Heritage Site
A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
from 1995 to 1996 and a member of the Executive Board of UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
from 1991 until 1995.
Jones and Ian Sinclair
Ian Sinclair
Ian McCahon Sinclair AC , is an Australian politician and former leader of the National Party of Australia.Sinclair was born in Sydney, the son of a suburban accountant. He was educated at Knox Grammar School and at the University of Sydney, where he graduated in arts and law...
served as co-chairs of the 1998 Constitutional Convention
Constitutional Convention (Australia)
In Australian history, the term Constitutional Convention refers to four distinct gatherings.-1891 convention:The 1891 Constitutional Convention was held in Sydney in March 1891 to consider a draft Constitution for the proposed federation of the British colonies in Australia and New Zealand. There...
on an Australian republic.
Academic career
Barry Jones attended the selective Melbourne High School in South Yarra before continuing on to and graduating from the University of Melbourne with a Bachelor of LawsBachelor of Laws
The Bachelor of Laws is an undergraduate, or bachelor, degree in law originating in England and offered in most common law countries as the primary law degree...
and Master of Arts
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
. Jones holds the honorary degrees of Doctor of Letters
Doctor of Letters
Doctor of Letters is a university academic degree, often a higher doctorate which is frequently awarded as an honorary degree in recognition of outstanding scholarship or other merits.-Commonwealth:...
from the University of Technology, Sydney
University of Technology, Sydney
The University of Technology Sydney is a university in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The university was founded in its current form in 1981, although its origins trace back to the 1870s. UTS is notable for its central location as the only university with its main campuses within the Sydney CBD...
and University of Wollongong
University of Wollongong
The University of Wollongong is a public university located in the coastal city of Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia, approximately 80 kilometres south of Sydney...
, Doctor of Science
Doctor of Science
Doctor of Science , usually abbreviated Sc.D., D.Sc., S.D. or Dr.Sc., is an academic research degree awarded in a number of countries throughout the world. In some countries Doctor of Science is the name used for the standard doctorate in the sciences, elsewhere the Sc.D...
from Macquarie University
Macquarie University
Macquarie University is an Australian public teaching and research university located in Sydney, with its main campus situated in Macquarie Park. Founded in 1964 by the New South Wales Government, it was the third university to be established in the metropolitan area of Sydney...
and Doctor of Law
Doctor of law
Doctor of Law or Doctor of Laws is a doctoral degree in law. The application of the term varies from country to country, and includes degrees such as the LL.D., Ph.D., J.D., J.S.D., and Dr. iur.-Argentina:...
s from the University of Melbourne.
In 1999 he was appointed an Adjunct Professor at Monash University
Monash University
Monash University is a public university based in Melbourne, Victoria. It was founded in 1958 and is the second oldest university in the state. Monash is a member of Australia's Group of Eight and the ASAIHL....
and became a Vice-Chancellor's Fellow at the University of Melbourne in 2005.
He is a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science
Australian Academy of Science
The Australian Academy of Science was founded in 1954 by a group of distinguished Australians, including Australian Fellows of the Royal Society of London. The first president was Sir Mark Oliphant. The Academy is modelled after the Royal Society and operates under a Royal Charter; as such it is...
(FAA); a Fellow of the Australian Academy of the Humanities
Australian Academy of the Humanities
The Australian Academy of the Humanities was established by Royal Charter in 1969 to advance scholarship and public interest in the humanities in Australia...
(FAHA); a Fellow of the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia
Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia
The Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia is an autonomous, non-governmental organisation, devoted to the advancement of knowledge and research in the social sciences. It was established in 1971...
(FASSA); and a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering
Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering
The Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering is an independent non-government organization dedicated to the promotion in Australia of scientific and engineering knowledge to practical purposes. Professor Robin Batterham is the current President of ATSE....
(FTSE): he was the first (and so far the only) person elected Fellow of all four Australian learned academies. In 1999 he was elected a Visiting Fellow Commoner at Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Trinity has more members than any other college in Cambridge or Oxford, with around 700 undergraduates, 430 graduates, and over 170 Fellows...
.
He is also a Fellow of the Australian College of Educators
Australian College of Educators
The Australian College of Educators is the principal organisation representing the field of teaching and education in Australia, and acts as the independent interest body for Australian teachers...
(FACE).
Later life
Jones chaired the Victorian Schools Innovation Commission from 2001 until 2005.He now chairs the Port Arthur
Port Arthur, Tasmania
Port Arthur is a small town and former convict settlement on the Tasman Peninsula, in Tasmania, Australia. Port Arthur is one of Australia's most significant heritage areas and the open air museum is officially Tasmania's top tourist attraction. It is located approximately 60 km south east of...
Historic Site Management Authority and serves on the boards of six medical research institutes.
On 31 October 2008, Jones was also appointed to serve on the board of the Victorian Opera
Victorian Opera (Melbourne)
Victorian Opera is an opera company based in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The company was founded in 2005 and commenced operations in January 2006 with funding from the Victorian government, and Richard Gill as Artistic Director...
.
He appeared regularly as a member of the Brains Trust on the television quiz show The Einstein Factor
The Einstein Factor
The Einstein Factor is an Australian television quiz show that was broadcast on ABC1. The show's host is comedian and broadcaster Peter Berner. It was first broadcast in 2004 and in 2009 the show commenced its sixth and final season, with the ABC announcing the program would not be renewed in 2010....
. He mentioned on an episode of the show that he likes to watch his Wikipedia page grow.
On 9 April 2010, The Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research, Senator Kim Carr
Kim Carr
Kim John Carr is an Australian politician. He has been an Australian Labor Party member of the Australian Senate since April 1993, representing the state of Victoria. He was elected to the Senate at the March 1993 election, and was due to take his seat on 1 July...
announced the formation of the Book Industry Strategy Group (BISG) with Jones as Chair. Further information on BISG, including making public submissions (until 31 January 2011) is available.
Barry Jones Bay in the Australian Antarctic Territory
Australian Antarctic Territory
The Australian Antarctic Territory is a part of Antarctica. It was claimed by the United Kingdom and placed under the authority of the Commonwealth of Australia in 1933. It is the largest territory of Antarctica claimed by any nation...
and Yalkaparidon jonesi
Thingodonta
Thingodonta is the colloquial name given to a bizarre order of extinct Australian marsupials, first described in 1988 and known only from the Oligo-Miocene deposits of Riversleigh, northwestern Queensland, Australia....
, an extinct marsupial
Marsupial
Marsupials are an infraclass of mammals, characterized by giving birth to relatively undeveloped young. Close to 70% of the 334 extant species occur in Australia, New Guinea, and nearby islands, with the remaining 100 found in the Americas, primarily in South America, but with thirteen in Central...
, were named after him. He is also is the owner of the largest private autograph
Autograph
An autograph is a document transcribed entirely in the handwriting of its author, as opposed to a typeset document or one written by an amanuensis or a copyist; the meaning overlaps with that of the word holograph.Autograph also refers to a person's artistic signature...
collection in Australia.
Writings
Jones has been a prolific author of political and sociological books, including:- Decades of Decision 1860–, 1965
- The Penalty is Death (editor), 1968
- Joseph IIJoseph II, Holy Roman EmperorJoseph II was Holy Roman Emperor from 1765 to 1790 and ruler of the Habsburg lands from 1780 to 1790. He was the eldest son of Empress Maria Theresa and her husband, Francis I...
, 1968 - Barry Jones' Guide to Modern History: Age of Apocalypse, 1975
- Macmillan Dictionary of Biography (editor), 1981
- Sleepers, Wake!Sleepers, Wake!Sleepers, Wake! Technology and the Future of Work is a well-known book by Barry Jones, originally published in 1982 and reprinted many times. It is currently in a revised and updated fourth edition....
Technology and the Future of Work, 1982 - Barry Jones' Dictionary of World Biography, 1994
- A Thinking Reed (autobiography), 2006.