Hugh Leslie
Encyclopedia
Hugh Alan Leslie OBE
(17 April 1900 - 2 September 1974) was a Western Australia
n Country Party
politician
and newspaper editor
.
, South Africa
on 17 April 1900 to Charles Leslie and Helen Gibson. His parents died when Hugh was very young and he was raised in a facility, educated at King William's Town
and Grahamstown College, at Grahamstown
. Leslie served in the South Africa
n armed forces from 1916 to 1919 and worked in small jobs until emigrating to Victoria
, Australia
in 1923 and arriving in Western Australia in 1927. Leslie became very active in Country Party
affairs and became Wyalkatchem
's branch secretary in 1928. On 26 December 1931 Leslie married Isabel Margaret Dawson (aged 21), eventually bearing seven children. The North-Eastern Wheatbelt Tribune acquired Leslie as its editor in that same year and he went on to become its proprietor.
. He joined the army
in 1940, stationed in the Middle East
. Leslie's right leg was amputated in 1941 following an injury in Libya
and was discharged from the army in 1943. He was elected to the Western Australian Legislative Assembly
on 20 November of that year in the seat of Mount Marshall
. He served as the party whip and party secretary
until his resignation from State parliament on 30 October 1949.
on 10 December 1949 and continued a successful political career, including a six-year stint with the Public Accounts Committee
from 1952 to 1958. He lost his seat in 1958, and regained it in 1961. Leslie resigned from his position in 1963 due to his wife's ill health. After the 1964 Senate elections he was suspended from the Country Party for five months for allowing how-to-vote cards similar to the Liberal Party
's to be distributed. In 1967 Leslie was appointed Order of the British Empire
(OBE).
Leslie died on 2 September 1974 in Repatriation General Hospital in Nedlands
, Perth.
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...
(17 April 1900 - 2 September 1974) was a Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
n Country Party
National Party of Western Australia
The National Party of Western Australia is a political party in Western Australia. It is affiliated with the National Party of Australia but maintains a separate structure and identity....
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
and newspaper editor
Editing
Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, visual, audible, and film media used to convey information through the processes of correction, condensation, organization, and other modifications performed with an intention of producing a correct, consistent, accurate, and complete...
.
Early life
Leslie was born in DurbanDurban
Durban is the largest city in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal and the third largest city in South Africa. It forms part of the eThekwini metropolitan municipality. Durban is famous for being the busiest port in South Africa. It is also seen as one of the major centres of tourism...
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
on 17 April 1900 to Charles Leslie and Helen Gibson. His parents died when Hugh was very young and he was raised in a facility, educated at King William's Town
King William's Town
King William's Town is a town in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa along the banks of the Buffalo River. The town is about 40 minutes' motorway drive WNW of the Indian Ocean port of East London...
and Grahamstown College, at Grahamstown
Grahamstown
Grahamstown is a city in the Eastern Cape Province of the Republic of South Africa and is the seat of the Makana municipality. The population of greater Grahamstown, as of 2003, was 124,758. The population of the surrounding areas, including the actual city was 41,799 of which 77.4% were black,...
. Leslie served in the South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
n armed forces from 1916 to 1919 and worked in small jobs until emigrating to Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
, 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...
in 1923 and arriving in Western Australia in 1927. Leslie became very active in Country Party
National Party of Australia
The National Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Traditionally representing graziers, farmers and rural voters generally, it began as the The Country Party, but adopted the name The National Country Party in 1975, changed to The National Party of Australia in 1982. The party is...
affairs and became Wyalkatchem
Wyalkatchem, Western Australia
Wyalkatchem townsite is located in the central agricultural region, east north east of Perth and east of Dowerin. At the 2006 census, Wyalkatchem had a population of 344....
's branch secretary in 1928. On 26 December 1931 Leslie married Isabel Margaret Dawson (aged 21), eventually bearing seven children. The North-Eastern Wheatbelt Tribune acquired Leslie as its editor in that same year and he went on to become its proprietor.
State politics
Leslie exited the print media in 1939 and became chairman of the Wyalkatchem District Patriotic Committee and the president of the local Returned Sailors' and Soldiers' Imperial League of AustraliaReturned and Services League of Australia
The Returned and Services League of Australia is a support organisation for men and women who have served or are serving in the Australian Defence Force ....
. He joined the army
Australian Imperial Force
The Australian Imperial Force was the name given to all-volunteer Australian Army forces dispatched to fight overseas during World War I and World War II.* First Australian Imperial Force * Second Australian Imperial Force...
in 1940, stationed in the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
. Leslie's right leg was amputated in 1941 following an injury in Libya
Libya
Libya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
and was discharged from the army in 1943. He was elected to the Western Australian Legislative Assembly
Western Australian Legislative Assembly
The Legislative Assembly, or lower house, is one of the two chambers of parliament in the Australian state of Western Australia. It sits in Parliament House in the state capital, Perth....
on 20 November of that year in the seat of Mount Marshall
Electoral district of Mount Marshall
Mount Marshall was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of Western Australia from 1930 to 1989.-History:The seat was created under the Redistribution of Seats Act 1929 and was first contested in the 1930 state election...
. He served as the party whip and party secretary
Party secretary
In politics, a party secretary is a senior official within a political party with responsibility for the organizational and daily political work. In most parties, the party secretary is second in rank to the party leader ....
until his resignation from State parliament on 30 October 1949.
Federal politics
Leslie won the Division of MooreDivision of Moore
The Division of Moore is an Australian electoral division in the state of Western Australia. Eligible voters within the Division elect a single representative, known as the member for Moore, to the Australian House of Representatives...
on 10 December 1949 and continued a successful political career, including a six-year stint with the Public Accounts Committee
Public Accounts Committee
The Public Accounts Committee is a select committee of the British House of Commons. It is responsible for overseeing government expenditures to ensure they are effective and honest...
from 1952 to 1958. He lost his seat in 1958, and regained it in 1961. Leslie resigned from his position in 1963 due to his wife's ill health. After the 1964 Senate elections he was suspended from the Country Party for five months for allowing how-to-vote cards similar to the Liberal Party
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...
's to be distributed. In 1967 Leslie was appointed 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...
(OBE).
Leslie died on 2 September 1974 in Repatriation General Hospital in Nedlands
Nedlands, Western Australia
The City of Nedlands is a Local Government Area in the inner western suburbs of the Western Australian capital city of Perth, located about west of Perth's central business district...
, Perth.