Ron Brewer (politician)
Encyclopedia
Ronald Alfred St Clair "Ron" Brewer (8 April 1921 – 16 June 2003) was an Australia
n politician. He was the Country Party
(later the National Party) member for Goulburn
in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
from 1965 to 1984.
Born in Watsons Bay
to farmer Alfred George Brewer and Doris Griffin, he was educated at Gunning
, Goulburn
and Naremburn
, leaving school at the age of 14. He became a rural worker before enlisting in the armed forces in 1938, serving in the 7th Light Horse Regiment of the 2nd Light Horse Brigade
until 1940, when he joined the RAAF
. He was discharged as medically unfit in 1942, and joined the 2nd AIF
, being stationed in New Guinea
as a warrant officer. He was discharged from the armed forces in 1946.
Brewer married Dorothy Sorrell on 16 November 1946, with whom he would have six children. As an ex-serviceman he was settled with the Green Hills property near Marulan
in 1948, and he became captain of the local Bush Fire Brigade
. In 1959 he was elected to Mulwaree Shire Council
, becoming president in 1962; he served until 1965.
In 1965, Brewer was elected to the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
as the Country Party
member for Goulburn
, gaining the Labor
-held seat after a three-cornered contest with both Labor and the Liberal Party
. He held the seat easily until 1974, when he resigned to contest the federal seat of Eden-Monaro
. Narrowly defeated by sitting Labor MP Jim Snow
, Brewer contested the by-election for his old state seat and was re-elected. Redistributions weakened his margin in subsequent years, and he retired in 1984.
Brewer died in Goulburn
in 2003.
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. He was the 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...
(later the National Party) member for Goulburn
Electoral district of Goulburn
Goulburn is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales. It is represented by Pru Goward of the Liberal Party of Australia....
in 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...
from 1965 to 1984.
Born in Watsons Bay
Watsons Bay, New South Wales
Watsons Bay is a harbourside, eastern suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Watsons Bay is located 11 km north-east of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the Municipality of Woollahra....
to farmer Alfred George Brewer and Doris Griffin, he was educated at Gunning
Gunning, New South Wales
Gunning is a town on the Old Hume Highway, between Goulburn and Yass in the Southern Tablelands of New South Wales, Australia, about 260 km south-west of Sydney and 75 km north of the national capital, Canberra. On Census night 2006, Gunning had a population of 487 people...
, Goulburn
Goulburn, New South Wales
Goulburn is a provincial city in the Southern Tablelands of New South Wales, Australia in Goulburn Mulwaree Council Local Government Area. It is located south-west of Sydney on the Hume Highway and above sea-level. On Census night 2006, Goulburn had a population of 20,127 people...
and Naremburn
Naremburn, New South Wales
Naremburn is a suburb on the lower North Shore of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Naremburn is located 6 kilometres north of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the City of Willoughby.-History:...
, leaving school at the age of 14. He became a rural worker before enlisting in the armed forces in 1938, serving in the 7th Light Horse Regiment of the 2nd Light Horse Brigade
2nd Light Horse Brigade
The 2nd Light Horse Brigade was a mounted infantry brigade of the First Australian Imperial Force which served in the Middle Eastern theatre of World War I. The brigade first saw action during the Dardanelles Campaign in the Battle of Gallipoli. After being withdrawn to Egypt in February 1916 they...
until 1940, when he joined the RAAF
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...
. He was discharged as medically unfit in 1942, and joined the 2nd AIF
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...
, being stationed in New Guinea
New Guinea
New Guinea is the world's second largest island, after Greenland, covering a land area of 786,000 km2. Located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, it lies geographically to the east of the Malay Archipelago, with which it is sometimes included as part of a greater Indo-Australian Archipelago...
as a warrant officer. He was discharged from the armed forces in 1946.
Brewer married Dorothy Sorrell on 16 November 1946, with whom he would have six children. As an ex-serviceman he was settled with the Green Hills property near Marulan
Marulan, New South Wales
Marulan is a small town in the Southern Tablelands of New South Wales, Australia in the Goulburn Mulwaree Council Local Government Area. It is located south-west of Sydney on the Hume Highway, although it bypasses the town proper. Marulan lies on the 150th meridian east. It has a railway station...
in 1948, and he became captain of the local Bush Fire Brigade
New South Wales Rural Fire Service
The New South Wales Rural Fire Service is a volunteer-based firefighting agency and statutory body of the NSW Government. The NSW RFS is responsible for the general administration of rural fire management affairs including administration of the Rural Fire Fighting Fund, co-ordination with local...
. In 1959 he was elected to Mulwaree Shire Council
Goulburn Mulwaree Council
Goulburn Mulwaree Council is a Local Government Area of New South Wales, Australia. The council was formed as the Greater Argyle Council in 2004 as an amalgamation of Goulburn City and parts of the former Mulwaree Shire. It was renamed in 2005 following objections from the community...
, becoming president in 1962; he served until 1965.
In 1965, Brewer was elected to 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...
as the 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...
member for Goulburn
Electoral district of Goulburn
Goulburn is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales. It is represented by Pru Goward of the Liberal Party of Australia....
, gaining the Labor
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...
-held seat after a three-cornered contest with both Labor and 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...
. He held the seat easily until 1974, when he resigned to contest the federal seat of Eden-Monaro
Division of Eden-Monaro
The Division of Eden-Monaro is anAustralian Electoral Division in New South Wales.The division was created in 1900, and was one of the original 75 divisions contested at the first federal election. It is named for the town of Eden and the Monaro district of southern New South Wales...
. Narrowly defeated by sitting Labor MP Jim Snow
Jim Snow
James Henry "Jim" Snow was an Australian politician.Snow was born in the Melbourne suburb of Surrey Hills, Victoria and graduated in pharmacy from the Victorian College of Pharmacy. He worked as a goat farmer, pharmacist and community worker for Queanbeyan City Council...
, Brewer contested the by-election for his old state seat and was re-elected. Redistributions weakened his margin in subsequent years, and he retired in 1984.
Brewer died in Goulburn
Goulburn, New South Wales
Goulburn is a provincial city in the Southern Tablelands of New South Wales, Australia in Goulburn Mulwaree Council Local Government Area. It is located south-west of Sydney on the Hume Highway and above sea-level. On Census night 2006, Goulburn had a population of 20,127 people...
in 2003.