Richard Thompson (Australian parliamentarian)
Encyclopedia
Richard Thompson (20 July 1906 - 21 March 1964) was a New Zealand
-born Australia
n parliamentarian, businessman and Methodist Lay preacher.
, New Zealand
, the son of Leslie Foster Thompson and Caroline Walker, and arrived in Australia aged two. He was educated in state schools before attending Newington College
. In 1934 he married Constance Olive Mayhew and they had a daughter and a son.
Insurance Limited and Open Road Publishing Company Pty Limited.
and the Liberal Party of Australia
. He was a member of Standing Orders Committee for fifteen years and a member of a number of Select Committees.
and his funeral was held in the Balgowlah Methodist church and Northern Suburbs Crematorium.
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
-born 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 parliamentarian, businessman and Methodist Lay preacher.
Early life
Thompson was born in PaeroaPaeroa
Paeroa is a small town in New Zealand, in the northern Waikato region of the Thames Valley. Located at the foot of the Coromandel Peninsula, it is close to the junction of the Waihou and Ohinemuri Rivers, 20 kilometres from the coast at the Firth of Thames...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, the son of Leslie Foster Thompson and Caroline Walker, and arrived in Australia aged two. He was educated in state schools before attending Newington College
Newington College
Newington College is an independent, Uniting Church, day and boarding school for boys, located in Stanmore, an inner-western suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia....
. In 1934 he married Constance Olive Mayhew and they had a daughter and a son.
Business career
After school, Thompson worked with Sun Newspapers Limited. He became a director of National Roads and Motorists AssociationNRMA
NRMA refers to either of two historically related Australian companies:*The National Roads and Motorists' Association, known as NRMA Motoring and Services, is a member-owned mutual organisation offering , motoring advice and other services in New South Wales and the Australian Capital...
Insurance Limited and Open Road Publishing Company Pty Limited.
Community involvement
- President - Australian Debating FederationAustralian Debating FederationSchool debating in Australia is primarily organised by The Australian Debating Federation and its eight affiliates. The focus of the debating year is the Australian National Schools Debating Championships, at which the team that is to represent Australia at the World Schools Debating Championships...
(1949-1964) - Councillor - City of SydneyCity of SydneyThe City of Sydney is the Local Government Area covering the Sydney central business district and surrounding inner city suburbs of the greater metropolitan area of Sydney, Australia...
Eisteddfod (1946-1957) - Chairman - City of Sydney EisteddfodSydney EisteddfodThe Sydney Eisteddfod is an independent community based non-profit organisation limited by guarantee a registered charity in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, and listed on the federal Register of Cultural Organisations eligible to receive tax-deductible donations. Directors and advisors are...
(1946 & 1957) - Councillor - New South Wales Constitutional League
- Executive member - National Roads and Motorists AssociationNRMANRMA refers to either of two historically related Australian companies:*The National Roads and Motorists' Association, known as NRMA Motoring and Services, is a member-owned mutual organisation offering , motoring advice and other services in New South Wales and the Australian Capital...
(1947-1964) - Senior vice president - National Roads and Motorists Association (1959-1964)
- President National Roads and Motorists Association (1956)
- College councillor - Newington CollegeNewington CollegeNewington College is an independent, Uniting Church, day and boarding school for boys, located in Stanmore, an inner-western suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia....
(1948-1964) - President - Old Newingtonians' UnionNewington CollegeNewington College is an independent, Uniting Church, day and boarding school for boys, located in Stanmore, an inner-western suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia....
(1952-1954)
Parliamentary career
He was a member of the NSW Legislative Council from 1 November 1939 until his death, representing the United Australia PartyUnited Australia Party
The United Australia Party was an Australian political party that was founded in 1931 and dissolved in 1945. It was the political successor to the Nationalist Party of Australia and predecessor to the Liberal Party of Australia...
and 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...
. He was a member of Standing Orders Committee for fifteen years and a member of a number of Select Committees.
Death
Thompson died at Balgowlah, New South WalesBalgowlah, New South Wales
Balgowlah is a suburb of northern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Balgowlah is located 12 kilometres north-east of the Sydney central business district in the local government area of Manly Council, in the Northern Beaches region...
and his funeral was held in the Balgowlah Methodist church and Northern Suburbs Crematorium.