Dick Healey
Encyclopedia
Richard Owen Healey (7 December 192310 December 2000) was a New South Wales
politician, ABC Sports Broadcaster and Minister of the Crown in the cabinets of Sir Robert Askin
, Tom Lewis
and Sir Eric Willis
. From 1973 to 1975 he was Minister for Youth and Community Services, when he was made Minister for Health, which he held until the Coalition lost office in May 1976. He was a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
for 19 years from 3 March 1962 until his retirement on 28 August 1981 for the Liberal Party of Australia
.
, the son of Allan Richard Healey and his wife Lurline McCloskey, and was educated at Parramatta High School
. On 20 June 1942, at age 18, he enlisted in the Royal Australian Air Force
(RAAF) as a Warrant officer in Canada and saw service in England and the Middle East with No. 458 Squadron RAAF
during World War II
. He married Winifred Mary on 2 October 1945 in Brighton, England, having a daughter and two sons. On his return to Australia, he was demobilised on 17 January 1946 and worked first as a radio announcer and then as a sports editor at Australian Broadcasting Corporation
radio from 1951 to 1962. He was appointed as Sports editor on ABC TV
in 1956 until he entered parliament in 1962.
and he was preselected to contest the seat of Wakehurst
, a new seat with a notional Liberal majority, at the 1962 election
. He was duly elected with 51.7% of the vote and went on to hold it a further two times in 1965 and 1968. After divorcing his first wife, Healey married Doreen Robins on 8 August 1963. He soon became a member of the Coalition Government, Liberal Party under Sir Robert Askin and the Country Party under Sir Charles Cutler
, which swept into Government in 1965 after almost 25 years of Labor government.
Healey became heavily involved within many areas of community service, including as Chairman of the Davidson Park Trust, in which capacity he was instrument in the establishment of Garigal National Park
, the Vice-President of the Royal Life Saving Society, Vice-President of the Manly-Warringah Scouting Association, Vice-President of the New South Wales Division of the Air Force Association, Chairman of the Wentworth Park Trust, the Founder of the New South Wales Water Safety Council, and as State President of the New South Wales Little Athletics Association. He was a Member of New South Wales Fitness Council from 1967 to 1976 and President of the Diabetics Association of New South Wales. Healey was also made a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Management
(FAIM).
He resigned his seat of Wakehurst on 13 January 1971 in order to contest the new and closer seat of Davidson
. He was then elected as member for Davidson at the 1971 election
with 80.2% of the vote against a single DLP
candidate. He attended the official opening of The Forest High School as Member for Wakehurst on the 24 October 1964, and later the official opening of Davidson High School
as Member for Davidson in 1974.
On 3 December 1973, Healey was appointed a Minister of the Crown as Minister for Youth and Community Services until 3 January 1975. In 1975 he took over one of the most difficult portfolios, Minister for Health, a position he held until the defeat of the Sir Eric Willis
Government in 1976. He stayed on in Opposition and served as Shadow Minister for Health from 28 May 1976 to 7 October 1978 under Willis and Peter Coleman
and then as Shadow Minister for Police and Services under leader John Mason
. He held his seat of Davidson for a further three times in 1973, 1976 and 1978 until he retired after losing a pre-selection contest to Terry Metherell
on 28 August 1981.
for "Service as President of the Little Athletics Association of NSW for 30 years". He continued to serve the community until his death three days after his 77th birthday on 10 December 2000. He was survived by his wife and his three children.
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...
politician, ABC Sports Broadcaster and Minister of the Crown in the cabinets of Sir Robert Askin
Robert Askin
Sir Robert William Askin GCMG, was an Australian politician and the 32nd Premier of New South Wales from 1965 to 1975, the first representing the Liberal Party of Australia. He was born in 1907 as Robin William Askin, but always disliked his first name and changed it by deed poll in 1971...
, Tom Lewis
Tom Lewis (Australian politician)
Thomas Lancelot Lewis AO is a former New South Wales politician, Premier of New South Wales and Minister of the Crown in the cabinets of Sir Robert Askin and Sir Eric Willis. He was made the Premier of New South Wales following Askin's retirement from politics and held it until he was replaced by...
and Sir Eric Willis
Eric Willis
Sir Eric Archibald Willis KBE, CMG was an Australian politician, Cabinet Minister and the 34th Premier of New South Wales, serving from 23 January 1976 to 14 May 1976. Born in Murwillumbah in 1922, Willis was educated at Murwillumbah High School and the University of Sydney, where he obtained a...
. From 1973 to 1975 he was Minister for Youth and Community Services, when he was made Minister for Health, which he held until the Coalition lost office in May 1976. He was a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
New South Wales Legislative Assembly
The Legislative Assembly, or lower house, is one of the two chambers of the Parliament of New South Wales, an Australian state. The other chamber is the Legislative Council. Both the Assembly and Council sit at Parliament House in the state capital, Sydney...
for 19 years from 3 March 1962 until his retirement on 28 August 1981 for the Liberal Party of Australia
Liberal Party of Australia
The Liberal Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Founded a year after the 1943 federal election to replace the United Australia Party, the centre-right Liberal Party typically competes with the centre-left Australian Labor Party for political office...
.
Early life
Healey was born on the 7 December 1923 in Broken Hill, New South WalesBroken Hill, New South Wales
-Geology:Broken Hill's massive orebody, which formed about 1,800 million years ago, has proved to be among the world's largest silver-lead-zinc mineral deposits. The orebody is shaped like a boomerang plunging into the earth at its ends and outcropping in the centre. The protruding tip of the...
, the son of Allan Richard Healey and his wife Lurline McCloskey, and was educated at Parramatta High School
Parramatta High School
Parramatta High School is a public, co-educational high school located in Parramatta, a western suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.Established in 1913, Parramatta High School was the first co-educational school in the Sydney Metropolitan area...
. On 20 June 1942, at age 18, he enlisted in 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...
(RAAF) as a Warrant officer in Canada and saw service in England and the Middle East with No. 458 Squadron RAAF
No. 458 Squadron RAAF
No. 458 Squadron RAAF was a Royal Australian Air Force squadron during World War II. It was formed in Australia, under the Empire Air Training Scheme. The Squadron flew various versions of Vickers Wellington bombers, first in Europe and later in the Middle East.-Over Europe:No. 458 was formed at...
during World War II
World 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 married Winifred Mary on 2 October 1945 in Brighton, England, having a daughter and two sons. On his return to Australia, he was demobilised on 17 January 1946 and worked first as a radio announcer and then as a sports editor at Australian Broadcasting Corporation
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly referred to as "the ABC" , is Australia's national public broadcaster...
radio from 1951 to 1962. He was appointed as Sports editor on ABC TV
ABC Television
ABC Television is a service of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation launched in 1956. As a public broadcasting broadcaster, the ABC provides four non-commercial channels within Australia, and a partially advertising-funded satellite channel overseas....
in 1956 until he entered parliament in 1962.
Political career
Healey was encouraged to enter into State politics by the then Liberal Leader Robert AskinRobert Askin
Sir Robert William Askin GCMG, was an Australian politician and the 32nd Premier of New South Wales from 1965 to 1975, the first representing the Liberal Party of Australia. He was born in 1907 as Robin William Askin, but always disliked his first name and changed it by deed poll in 1971...
and he was preselected to contest the seat of Wakehurst
Electoral district of Wakehurst
Wakehurst is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales. It is represented by Brad Hazzard of the Liberal Party of Australia.-Members for Wakehurst:-Election results:...
, a new seat with a notional Liberal majority, at the 1962 election
New South Wales state election, 1962
The 1962 New South Wales state election was held on 3 March 1962. It was conducted in single member constituencies with compulsory preferential voting and was held on boundaries created at a 1961 redistribution...
. He was duly elected with 51.7% of the vote and went on to hold it a further two times in 1965 and 1968. After divorcing his first wife, Healey married Doreen Robins on 8 August 1963. He soon became a member of the Coalition Government, Liberal Party under Sir Robert Askin and the Country Party under Sir Charles Cutler
Charles Cutler
Sir Charles Benjamin Cutler KBE, ED was an Australian politician, holding office for 28 years as an elected member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly for Orange...
, which swept into Government in 1965 after almost 25 years of Labor government.
Healey became heavily involved within many areas of community service, including as Chairman of the Davidson Park Trust, in which capacity he was instrument in the establishment of Garigal National Park
Garigal National Park
Garigal National Park is a national park in New South Wales , 20 km north of central Sydney. The park is somewhat disjointed but covers the following areas:...
, the Vice-President of the Royal Life Saving Society, Vice-President of the Manly-Warringah Scouting Association, Vice-President of the New South Wales Division of the Air Force Association, Chairman of the Wentworth Park Trust, the Founder of the New South Wales Water Safety Council, and as State President of the New South Wales Little Athletics Association. He was a Member of New South Wales Fitness Council from 1967 to 1976 and President of the Diabetics Association of New South Wales. Healey was also made a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Management
Australian Institute of Management
The Australian Institute of Management is Australia's largest professional body for managers. The sole purpose of AIM is to promote the advancement of education and learning in the field of management and leadership for commerce, industry and government. It is not for profit entity with branches...
(FAIM).
He resigned his seat of Wakehurst on 13 January 1971 in order to contest the new and closer seat of Davidson
Electoral district of Davidson
Davidson is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales. It is represented by Jonathan O'Dea of the Liberal Party of Australia.-Members for Davidson:-Election results:...
. He was then elected as member for Davidson at the 1971 election
New South Wales state election, 1971
Elections for the New South Wales Legislative Assembly were held in the state of New South Wales, Australia, on Saturday 13 February 1971. The Liberal-Country Party coalition government led by Sir Robert Askin won a third term in office. The Labor Party opposition was led by Pat Hills.The...
with 80.2% of the vote against a single DLP
Democratic Labor Party (historical)
The Democratic Labor Party was an Australian political party that existed from 1955 until 1978.-History:The DLP was formed as a result of a split in the Australian Labor Party that began in 1954. The split was between the party's national leadership, under the then party leader Dr H.V...
candidate. He attended the official opening of The Forest High School as Member for Wakehurst on the 24 October 1964, and later the official opening of Davidson High School
Davidson High School (New South Wales)
Davidson High School, is a school located in Frenchs Forest, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, on Mimosa Street. It is a co-educational high school operated by the New South Wales Department of Education and Training with students from years 7 to 12...
as Member for Davidson in 1974.
On 3 December 1973, Healey was appointed a Minister of the Crown as Minister for Youth and Community Services until 3 January 1975. In 1975 he took over one of the most difficult portfolios, Minister for Health, a position he held until the defeat of the Sir Eric Willis
Eric Willis
Sir Eric Archibald Willis KBE, CMG was an Australian politician, Cabinet Minister and the 34th Premier of New South Wales, serving from 23 January 1976 to 14 May 1976. Born in Murwillumbah in 1922, Willis was educated at Murwillumbah High School and the University of Sydney, where he obtained a...
Government in 1976. He stayed on in Opposition and served as Shadow Minister for Health from 28 May 1976 to 7 October 1978 under Willis and Peter Coleman
Peter Coleman
William Peter Coleman is an Australian writer/journalist, former politician and Minister of the Crown in the cabinets of Tom Lewis and Sir Eric Willis. Following Willis' resignation as leader he was made Leader of the New South Wales Opposition...
and then as Shadow Minister for Police and Services under leader John Mason
John Mason (Australian politician)
John Marsden Mason is a former Australian politician, a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly for 16 years.-Early life:Mason was born in Rose Bay in Sydney in 1928, the son of Kay Mason and Stella Marsden...
. He held his seat of Davidson for a further three times in 1973, 1976 and 1978 until he retired after losing a pre-selection contest to Terry Metherell
Terry Metherell
Terry Alan Metherell is a former Australian politician who represented the Electoral district of Davidson in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly from 1981 to 1992. When the Liberal Party won the 1988 election, Premier Nick Greiner appointed him Minister for Education and Youth Affairs, a...
on 28 August 1981.
Later life
He was an active member for the RSL and served the Forestville branch up until his death. On the 5 December 2000, he was awarded the Australian Sports MedalAustralian Sports Medal
The Australian Sports Medal was an award given during 2000 to recognise achievements in Australian sport.Recipients of the award included competitors, coaches, sports scientists, office holders, and people who maintained sporting facilities and services. Over 18,000 Medals were...
for "Service as President of the Little Athletics Association of NSW for 30 years". He continued to serve the community until his death three days after his 77th birthday on 10 December 2000. He was survived by his wife and his three children.