David Fairbairn
Encyclopedia
Sir David Eric Fairbairn KBE
DFC
(3 March 1917 – 1 June 1994) was an Australia
n politician and cabinet minister.
, Surrey
, England
. His grandfathers both served in the Parliament of Australia
— Sir George Fairbairn served in the House of Representatives
seat of division of Fawkner
from 1906 to 1913 and in the Senate
from 1917 to 1923 and Edmund Jowett
was the federal member for Grampians
from 1917 to 1922. His uncle, James Fairbairn
, was one of three ministers in the Menzies government
who were killed in the 1940 Canberra air disaster.
Fairbairn was educated at Geelong Grammar School
and Jesus College, Cambridge
. In 1939, took control of Dunraven, a pastoral property at Woomargama
, in the Riverina
district of New South Wales
.
, he served in the 21st Light Horse Riverina Regiment from 1939 to 1941 and joined the Royal Australian Air Force
in 1941. He served both in Britain, where he located the first V-1 flying bomb
launching site, and in the New Guinea campaign
. In 1945 he was badly wounded and discharged with the rank of Flight Lieutenant
. Fairbairn had been awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross
in 1944.
, Fairbairn was elected to the House of Representatives as the federal member for Farrer
. He was appointed Minister for the Air
in 1962 in the ninth Menzies Ministry
. In 1964, he became Minister for National Development
. After the 1969 election
, he challenged John Gorton
unsuccessfully for the leadership and then resigned from the ministry, saying: "I have given deep thought and consideration to this decision. I have made it reluctantly. My sole concern in coming to it is the future of the Liberal Party, the Government and the Nation." According to Ian Sinclair
, he was opposed to Gorton's centralism and in particular, his attempt to claim of sovereignty over Australia's territorial waters and continental shelf for the Commonwealth. Fairbairn became Minister for Education and Science in March 1971 in the McMahon Ministry
and Minister for Defence
from August 1971 to the government's defeat in 1972 election
. He retired from Parliament at the 1975 election
.
From 1977 to 1980, Fairbairn was Australia's Ambassador to the Netherlands
. He died in Woden Valley Hospital
in Canberra
, survived by his wife, Ruth and three daughters.
in 1945 and made a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire
in 1977.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
DFC
Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)
The Distinguished Flying Cross is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force and other services, and formerly to officers of other Commonwealth countries, for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying in active operations against...
(3 March 1917 – 1 June 1994) was an Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n politician and cabinet minister.
Early life
Fairbairn was born in ClaygateClaygate
Claygate is a village in the English county of Surrey, approximately south west of London and within the Metropolitan Green Belt.It is primarily a residential area but with offices, farms and two shopping areas with a supermarket, five pubs and numerous restaurants...
, Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. His grandfathers both served in the Parliament of Australia
Parliament of Australia
The Parliament of Australia, also known as the Commonwealth Parliament or Federal Parliament, is the legislative branch of the government of Australia. It is bicameral, largely modelled in the Westminster tradition, but with some influences from the United States Congress...
— Sir George Fairbairn served in 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....
seat of division of Fawkner
Division of Fawkner
The Division of Fawkner was an Australian Electoral Division in Victoria. The division was created in 1906 , and was abolished itself in 1969. It was named for John Pascoe Fawkner, one of the founders of Melbourne. It was located in the inner southern suburbs of Melbourne, including at various...
from 1906 to 1913 and in the Senate
Australian Senate
The Senate is the upper house of the bicameral Parliament of Australia, the lower house being the House of Representatives. Senators are popularly elected under a system of proportional representation. Senators are elected for a term that is usually six years; after a double dissolution, however,...
from 1917 to 1923 and Edmund Jowett
Edmund Jowett
Edmund Jowett was an Australian politician and an early deputy leader of the Australian Country Party.-Early life:...
was the federal member for Grampians
Division of Grampians
The Division of Grampians was anAustralian Electoral Division in Victoria. The division was created in 1900 and was one of the original 75 divisions contested at the first federal election. It was abolished in 1922. It was named for the Grampian Ranges in central Victoria, and included the towns of...
from 1917 to 1922. His uncle, James Fairbairn
James Fairbairn
James Valentine Fairbairn was a pastoralist, aviator, Australian politician and cabinet minister who was killed in the Canberra air disaster....
, was one of three ministers in the Menzies government
First Menzies Ministry
The First Menzies Ministry was the twenty-sixth Australian Commonwealth ministry, and ran from 26 April 1939 to 14 March 1940.United Australia Party*Rt Hon Robert Menzies, KC MP: Prime Minister, Treasurer...
who were killed in the 1940 Canberra air disaster.
Fairbairn was educated at Geelong Grammar School
Geelong Grammar School
Geelong Grammar School is an independent, Anglican, co-educational, boarding and day school. The school's main campus is located at Corio, on the northern outskirts of Geelong, Victoria, Australia, overlooking Corio Bay and Limeburners Bay....
and Jesus College, Cambridge
Jesus College, Cambridge
Jesus College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England.The College was founded in 1496 on the site of a Benedictine nunnery by John Alcock, then Bishop of Ely...
. In 1939, took control of Dunraven, a pastoral property at Woomargama
Woomargama, New South Wales
Woomargama is a picturesque village community in the south east part of the Riverina, in the foothills of the great dividing range. It is situated by road, about north-east from Mullengandra and south-west from Holbrook...
, in the Riverina
Riverina
The Riverina is an agricultural region of south-western New South Wales , Australia. The Riverina is distinguished from other Australian regions by the combination of flat plains, warm to hot climate and an ample supply of water for irrigation. This combination has allowed the Riverina to develop...
district of New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
.
World War II
During World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, he served in the 21st Light Horse Riverina Regiment from 1939 to 1941 and joined the Royal Australian Air Force
Royal Australian Air Force
The Royal Australian Air Force is the air force branch of the Australian Defence Force. The RAAF was formed in March 1921. It continues the traditions of the Australian Flying Corps , which was formed on 22 October 1912. The RAAF has taken part in many of the 20th century's major conflicts...
in 1941. He served both in Britain, where he located the first V-1 flying bomb
V-1 flying bomb
The V-1 flying bomb, also known as the Buzz Bomb or Doodlebug, was an early pulse-jet-powered predecessor of the cruise missile....
launching site, and in the New Guinea campaign
New Guinea campaign
The New Guinea campaign was one of the major military campaigns of World War II.Before the war, the island of New Guinea was split between:...
. In 1945 he was badly wounded and discharged with the rank of Flight Lieutenant
Flight Lieutenant
Flight lieutenant is a junior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many Commonwealth countries. It ranks above flying officer and immediately below squadron leader. The name of the rank is the complete phrase; it is never shortened to "lieutenant"...
. Fairbairn had been awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross
Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)
The Distinguished Flying Cross is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force and other services, and formerly to officers of other Commonwealth countries, for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying in active operations against...
in 1944.
Political career
In the 1949 electionAustralian federal election, 1949
Federal elections were held in Australia on 10 December 1949. All 121 seats in the House of Representatives, and 42 of the 60 seats in the Senate were up for election, where the single transferable vote was introduced...
, Fairbairn was elected to the House of Representatives as the federal member for Farrer
Division of Farrer
The Division of Farrer is an Australian Electoral Division in New South Wales. The division was created in 1949 and is named for William Farrer, agricultural scientist. It is located in the southern rural area of the state and includes Albury, Balranald, Deniliquin and Jerilderie. It has always...
. He was appointed Minister for the Air
Minister for Defence (Australia)
The Minister for Defence of Australia administers his portfolio through the Australian Defence Organisation, which comprises the Department of Defence and the Australian Defence Force. Stephen Smith is the current Minister.-Ministers for Defence:...
in 1962 in the ninth Menzies Ministry
Ninth Menzies Ministry
The Ninth Menzies Ministry was the fortieth Australian Commonwealth ministry, and ran from 22 December 1961 to 18 December 1963.Liberal Party of Australia–Australian Country Party Coalition-Cabinet:*Rt Hon Robert Menzies, QC MP: Prime Minister...
. In 1964, he became Minister for National Development
Minister for Resources and Energy (Australia)
The Australian Minister for Resources and Energy is Martin Ferguson, appointed on 3 December 2007. The Minister administers his portfolios through the Department of Resources, Energy and Tourism.-List of Ministers for Resources:...
. After the 1969 election
Australian federal election, 1969
Federal elections were held in Australia on 25 October 1969. All 125 seats in the House of Representatives were up for election. The incumbent Liberal Party of Australia led by Prime Minister of Australia John Gorton with coalition partner the Country Party led by John McEwen defeated the Australian...
, he challenged John Gorton
John Gorton
Sir John Grey Gorton, GCMG, AC, CH , Australian politician, was the 19th Prime Minister of Australia.-Early life:...
unsuccessfully for the leadership and then resigned from the ministry, saying: "I have given deep thought and consideration to this decision. I have made it reluctantly. My sole concern in coming to it is the future of the Liberal Party, the Government and the Nation." According to 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...
, he was opposed to Gorton's centralism and in particular, his attempt to claim of sovereignty over Australia's territorial waters and continental shelf for the Commonwealth. Fairbairn became Minister for Education and Science in March 1971 in the McMahon Ministry
McMahon Ministry
The McMahon Ministry was the forty-seventh Australian Commonwealth ministry, and ran from 10 March 1971 to 5 December 1972.Liberal Party of Australia–Australian Country Party Coalition-Cabinet:*Rt Hon William McMahon, MP: Prime Minister...
and Minister for Defence
Minister for Defence (Australia)
The Minister for Defence of Australia administers his portfolio through the Australian Defence Organisation, which comprises the Department of Defence and the Australian Defence Force. Stephen Smith is the current Minister.-Ministers for Defence:...
from August 1971 to the government's defeat in 1972 election
Australian federal election, 1972
Federal elections were held in Australia on 2 December 1972. All 125 seats in the House of Representatives were up for election. The Liberal Party of Australia had been in power since 1949, under Prime Minister of Australia William McMahon since March 1971 with coalition partner the Country Party...
. He retired from Parliament at the 1975 election
Australian federal election, 1975
Federal elections were held in Australia on 13 December 1975. All 127 seats in the House of Representatives, and all 64 seats in the Senate were up for election following a double dissolution of both Houses....
.
From 1977 to 1980, Fairbairn was Australia's Ambassador to the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
. He died in Woden Valley Hospital
Canberra Hospital
The Canberra Hospital is a public hospital located in Garran, Canberra. It is a tertiary level centre with 500 beds and caters to a population of about 520,000...
in Canberra
Canberra
Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...
, survived by his wife, Ruth and three daughters.
Honours
Fairbairn was awarded a Distinguished Flying CrossDistinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)
The Distinguished Flying Cross is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force and other services, and formerly to officers of other Commonwealth countries, for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying in active operations against...
in 1945 and made a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
in 1977.