Mark Birrell
Encyclopedia
Mark Alexander Birrell is a solicitor, company director and a former Cabinet Minister in the Australia
n state of Victoria
.
and was educated at Trinity Grammar. He studied at Monash University
obtaining a Bachelor of Economics and a Bachelor of Laws
. Whilse studying, Birrell worked for Senator
Alan Missen
and also served terms as President of the Victorian and Federal Young Liberals. He was admitted to practice as a Barrister
and Solicitor
in 1983.
William Campbell
resigned his safe Legislative Council
seat of East Yarra Province
in 1983, Birrell won Liberal preselection and succeeded him as its member. Two years later he entered the shadow Cabinet
as shadow Health Minister.
Birrell became the Leader of the Liberal Party in the Legislative Council from 1988 and in 1992 he became the Government Leader of the Upper House, a position he would hold through to 1999. During this period he served as Minister for Conservation and Environment, creating the Yarra Ranges National Park
, pioneering laws for coastal protection in the State, overseeing Albert Park’s
revitalisation, and handling key stakeholder issues.
During the first term of the Kennett
government he also served as the Minister for Major Projects. He was responsible for the 'Agenda 21' infrastructure projects like the new Melbourne Exhibition and Convention Centre
, Melbourne Museum
, City Circle Tram
, the Regent Theatre
, Docklands
, Beacon Cove and the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre
. After the 1996 election he swapped his Ministerial portfolios for the Industry, Science and Technology portfolio. As minister he oversaw the State's first "Science, Engineering and Technology policy," legislating for 7-day shop trading, and overseeing a successful investment attraction program.
After the defeat of the Kennett Government at the 1999 election, Birrell continued as Liberal Upper House leader and served as shadow Minister for Industry, Science and Technology. Widespread media commentary called for him to switch to the lower house and take the Leadership of the Victorian Liberal Party as his predecessor Sir Rupert Hamer had done. However, Birrell decided to leave Parliament and return to private enterprise after the 2002 election.
, is a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and serves on the Executive Council of the Victorian Employers Chamber of Commerce and Industry. He had previously held positions as a Trustee of both the Melbourne Cricket Ground (1992–96) and the Melbourne and Olympic Parks Trust (1995–99).
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 state of 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....
.
Early life
Birrell was born in MelbourneMelbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
and was educated at Trinity Grammar. He studied 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....
obtaining a Bachelor of Economics and a Bachelor of Laws
Bachelor 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...
. Whilse studying, Birrell worked for Senator
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,...
Alan Missen
Alan Missen
- Early life :Missen's parents were Clifford Missen, labourer, and Violet . Clifford hailed from Lismore in western Victoria and Violet from Chiltern in northern Victoria. They met in Melbourne where they married in 1920 and settled in the inner eastern Melbourne suburb of Kew...
and also served terms as President of the Victorian and Federal Young Liberals. He was admitted to practice as a Barrister
Barrister
A barrister is a member of one of the two classes of lawyer found in many common law jurisdictions with split legal professions. Barristers specialise in courtroom advocacy, drafting legal pleadings and giving expert legal opinions...
and Solicitor
Solicitor
Solicitors are lawyers who traditionally deal with any legal matter including conducting proceedings in courts. In the United Kingdom, a few Australian states and the Republic of Ireland, the legal profession is split between solicitors and barristers , and a lawyer will usually only hold one title...
in 1983.
Politics
When long serving MPMember of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
William Campbell
William Campbell (Australian politician)
William Campbell was one of Australia's richest pastoralists, one of the first people to discover gold in Australia, and a conservative Victorian policitian....
resigned his safe Legislative Council
Victorian Legislative Council
The Victorian Legislative Council, is the upper of the two houses of the Parliament of Victoria, Australia; the lower house being the Legislative Assembly. Both houses sit in Parliament House in Spring Street, Melbourne. The Legislative Council serves as a house of review, in a similar fashion to...
seat of East Yarra Province
East Yarra Province
East Yarra Province was an electorate of the Victorian Legislative Council until 2006. It was abolished from the 2006 state election in the wake of the Bracks Labor government's reform of the Legislative Council.-Members for East Yarra Province:...
in 1983, Birrell won Liberal preselection and succeeded him as its member. Two years later he entered the shadow Cabinet
Shadow Cabinet
The Shadow Cabinet is a senior group of opposition spokespeople in the Westminster system of government who together under the leadership of the Leader of the Opposition form an alternative cabinet to the government's, whose members shadow or mark each individual member of the government...
as shadow Health Minister.
Birrell became the Leader of the Liberal Party in the Legislative Council from 1988 and in 1992 he became the Government Leader of the Upper House, a position he would hold through to 1999. During this period he served as Minister for Conservation and Environment, creating the Yarra Ranges National Park
Yarra Ranges National Park
Yarra Ranges is a national park in Victoria, Australia, 92 km east of Melbourne. It covers the headwaters of the Yarra River in the ranges themselves and several water catchments for Melbourne's domestic water supply....
, pioneering laws for coastal protection in the State, overseeing Albert Park’s
Albert Park and Lake
Albert Park and Albert Park Lake are situated in the City of Port Phillip, Victoria, Australia, 3 km south of the Melbourne CBD....
revitalisation, and handling key stakeholder issues.
During the first term of the Kennett
Jeff Kennett
Jeffrey Gibb Kennett AC , a former Australian politician, was the Premier of Victoria between 1992 and 1999. He is currently the President of Hawthorn Football Club. He is the founding Chairman of beyondblue, a national depression initiative.- Early life :Kennett was born in Melbourne on 2 March...
government he also served as the Minister for Major Projects. He was responsible for the 'Agenda 21' infrastructure projects like the new Melbourne Exhibition and Convention Centre
Melbourne Exhibition and Convention Centre
The Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre is the name given to two adjacent buildings next to the Yarra River in South Wharf, an inner-city suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia...
, Melbourne Museum
Melbourne Museum
Melbourne Museum is located in the Carlton Gardens in Melbourne, Australia, adjacent the Royal Exhibition Building.It is the largest museum in the Southern Hemisphere, and is a venue of Museum Victoria, which also operates the Immigration Museum and Scienceworks Museum.The museum has seven main...
, City Circle Tram
City Circle (tram route)
The City Circle is a zero-fare tram running around the central business district of Melbourne, Australia. Aimed towards tourists the route passes many Melbourne attractions while running along the CBD's outermost thoroughfares, as well as the developing Docklands waterfront precinct.- History :The...
, the Regent Theatre
Regent Theatre, Melbourne
The Regent Theatre is a 2162 seat theatre in Melbourne, Australia. It is listed by the National Trust of Australia and is on the Victorian Heritage Register.-History:...
, Docklands
Melbourne Docklands
Docklands is an inner city suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia occupying an area extending up to 2 km west of and adjacent to Melbourne's Central Business District . Its Local Government Area is the City of Melbourne...
, Beacon Cove and the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre
Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre
The Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre is an international sporting venue located in Albert Park, Victoria, Australia. The centre was opened on the 24th of July 1997 at a construction cost of A$65 million. The cost was funded by the State Government of Victoria and the City of Port Phillip...
. After the 1996 election he swapped his Ministerial portfolios for the Industry, Science and Technology portfolio. As minister he oversaw the State's first "Science, Engineering and Technology policy," legislating for 7-day shop trading, and overseeing a successful investment attraction program.
After the defeat of the Kennett Government at the 1999 election, Birrell continued as Liberal Upper House leader and served as shadow Minister for Industry, Science and Technology. Widespread media commentary called for him to switch to the lower house and take the Leadership of the Victorian Liberal Party as his predecessor Sir Rupert Hamer had done. However, Birrell decided to leave Parliament and return to private enterprise after the 2002 election.
In private enterprise
Birrell is currently practising as a solicitor in Melbourne and is the Chairman of Infrastructure Partnerships Australia, the nation's largest infrastructure advocacy body. He is on the Board of Australia PostAustralia Post
Australia Post is the trading name of the Australian Government-owned Australian Postal Corporation .-History:...
, is a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and serves on the Executive Council of the Victorian Employers Chamber of Commerce and Industry. He had previously held positions as a Trustee of both the Melbourne Cricket Ground (1992–96) and the Melbourne and Olympic Parks Trust (1995–99).