Eric Bedford
Encyclopedia
Eric Lance Bedford was an Australia
n politician, affiliated with the Australian Labor Party
and elected as a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
.
Bedford was born at Concord, NSW, and attended Fort Street Boys High School before studying at Sydney Teachers College
and embarking on a teaching career in country areas. He took an Arts degree through external study and returned
to teach at Liverpool Boys High School and later Bankstown Girls High School.
While at Liverpool Boys High, Bedford met Gough Whitlam
and inquired about rejoining the Labor Party, which he had been a member of in his youth. He later served as Gough Whitlam’s campaign director at the 1966 election, and Whitlam persuaded Eric to stand for state parliament in the seat of Fairfield
, which was vacant as a result of a redistribution.
Bedford won the seat and served as the Member for Fairfield between 1968 and 1981 and then represented the seat of Cabramatta
. He served as the Minister for Education in the Wran
Government for three years after 1976. He then served as Minister for Planning and the Environment, Minister for Industry and Minister for Small Business until the end of his political career in 1985.
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, affiliated with the Australian Labor Party
Australian 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...
and elected as 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...
.
Bedford was born at Concord, NSW, and attended Fort Street Boys High School before studying at Sydney Teachers College
and embarking on a teaching career in country areas. He took an Arts degree through external study and returned
to teach at Liverpool Boys High School and later Bankstown Girls High School.
While at Liverpool Boys High, Bedford met Gough Whitlam
Gough Whitlam
Edward Gough Whitlam, AC, QC , known as Gough Whitlam , served as the 21st Prime Minister of Australia. Whitlam led the Australian Labor Party to power at the 1972 election and retained government at the 1974 election, before being dismissed by Governor-General Sir John Kerr at the climax of the...
and inquired about rejoining the Labor Party, which he had been a member of in his youth. He later served as Gough Whitlam’s campaign director at the 1966 election, and Whitlam persuaded Eric to stand for state parliament in the seat of Fairfield
Electoral district of Fairfield
Fairfield is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly of the Australian state of New South Wales in Sydney's West. Fairfield has historically been one of the safest Labor seats in New South Wales and is considered a part of Labor's heartland in Western Sydney...
, which was vacant as a result of a redistribution.
Bedford won the seat and served as the Member for Fairfield between 1968 and 1981 and then represented the seat of Cabramatta
Electoral district of Cabramatta
Cabramatta is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales. It is a 19.82 km² urban electorate in Sydney's south-west, centred on the suburb of Cabramatta from which it takes its name. It also includes the suburbs of Bonnyrigg, Bonnyrigg Heights,...
. He served as the Minister for Education in the Wran
Neville Wran
Neville Kenneth Wran, AC, CNZM, QC was the Premier of New South Wales from 1976 until 1986. He was National President of the Australian Labor Party from 1980 to 1986 and Chairman of both the Lionel Murphy Foundation and the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation from 1986...
Government for three years after 1976. He then served as Minister for Planning and the Environment, Minister for Industry and Minister for Small Business until the end of his political career in 1985.