Tony Whitlam
Encyclopedia
Antony Philip Whitlam QC
, (born 7 January 1944) is an Australia
n lawyer who has served as a politician and judge. He is the son of former Prime Minister
Gough Whitlam
and Margaret Whitlam
.
and educated at Sydney Boys' High School and the Australian National University
in Canberra
, where he graduated in law.
In 1973 Whitlam became South-east Asia regional counsel for Rank Xerox
.
seat of Grayndler
in central Sydney.
His father Gough Whitlam was at that time the Leader of the Labor Party and had just been dismissed as Prime Minister by the Governor-General
, Sir John Kerr. Labor was heavily defeated but Tony Whitlam easily won Grayndler. He became only the second federal MP to serve in the House at the same time as his father. He is also the only child of an Australian Prime Minister to be a federal MP (Kevin
and Brendan Lyons
, sons of Prime Minister Joseph Lyons
, were Tasmania
n state MPs).
In 1977 there was a redistribution of electoral boundaries in New South Wales, and the Division of Lang
, adjoining Grayndler, was abolished. The sitting Labor MP for Lang, Frank Stewart
, challenged Tony Whitlam for Labor endorsement in Grayndler and defeated him. Whitlam was forced to stand for another seat, the marginal Liberal
seat of St George
, where he was defeated at the December 1977 election by the sitting Liberal member, Maurice Neil
.
He attempted a return to federal politics in 1979, but was defeated in a preselection battle for the seat of Grayndler.
in 1993. In 1995 he was also appointed a judge of the Supreme Court of the Australian Capital Territory
. Whitlam was one of only five politicians to have served in both the Parliament of Australia
and the Federal Court of Australia
, alongside Nigel Bowen
, Robert Ellicott, Merv Everett and John Reeves.
After retiring from his judgeships Whitlam returned again to the bar.
Queen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel , known as King's Counsel during the reign of a male sovereign, are lawyers appointed by letters patent to be one of Her [or His] Majesty's Counsel learned in the law...
, (born 7 January 1944) is an 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 lawyer who has served as a politician and judge. He is the son of former Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Australia
The Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Australia is the highest minister of the Crown, leader of the Cabinet and Head of Her Majesty's Australian Government, holding office on commission from the Governor-General of Australia. The office of Prime Minister is, in practice, the most powerful...
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 Margaret Whitlam
Margaret Whitlam
Margaret Whitlam AO is a prominent Australian personality and the wife of former Prime Minister of Australia Gough Whitlam...
.
Early life and education
He was born in SydneySydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
and educated at Sydney Boys' High School and the Australian National University
Australian National University
The Australian National University is a teaching and research university located in the Australian capital, Canberra.As of 2009, the ANU employs 3,945 administrative staff who teach approximately 10,000 undergraduates, and 7,500 postgraduate students...
in Canberra
Canberra
Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...
, where he graduated in law.
Early legal career
Whitlam was raised to the New South Wales bar in 1967.In 1973 Whitlam became South-east Asia regional counsel for Rank Xerox
Rank Xerox
Rank Xerox was formed in 1956 as a joint venture between the Xerox Corporation of U.S. and the Rank Organisation of UK, to manufacture and market Xerox equipment initially in Europe and later in Africa and Asia...
.
Political career
After several unsuccessful runs for preselection he was elected in 1975 to the Australian House of RepresentativesAustralian House of Representatives
The House of Representatives is one of the two houses of the Parliament of Australia; it is the lower house; the upper house is the Senate. Members of Parliament serve for terms of approximately three years....
seat of Grayndler
Division of Grayndler
The Division of Grayndler is an Australian Electoral Division in inner Metropolitan Sydney, New South Wales. It is one of Australia's smallest electorates, located in the inner-southern Sydney metropolitan area, including parts of the inner-west...
in central Sydney.
His father Gough Whitlam was at that time the Leader of the Labor Party and had just been dismissed as Prime Minister by the Governor-General
Governor-General of Australia
The Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia is the representative in Australia at federal/national level of the Australian monarch . He or she exercises the supreme executive power of the Commonwealth...
, Sir John Kerr. Labor was heavily defeated but Tony Whitlam easily won Grayndler. He became only the second federal MP to serve in the House at the same time as his father. He is also the only child of an Australian Prime Minister to be a federal MP (Kevin
Kevin Lyons
Kevin Orchard Lyons was an Australian politician and member of the Tasmanian House of Assembly representing the seat of Darwin...
and Brendan Lyons
Brendan Lyons
Brendan Aloysius Lyons was an Australian politician. He was elected to the Tasmanian House of Assembly at the 1982 election representing the Division of Bass for the Liberal Party...
, sons of Prime Minister Joseph Lyons
Joseph Lyons
Joseph Aloysius Lyons, CH was an Australian politician. He was Labor Premier of Tasmania from 1923 to 1928 and a Minister in the James Scullin government from 1929 until his resignation from the Labor Party in March 1931...
, were Tasmania
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
n state MPs).
In 1977 there was a redistribution of electoral boundaries in New South Wales, and the Division of Lang
Division of Lang
The Division of Lang was an Australian Electoral Division in the state of New South Wales. It was located in the southern suburbs of Sydney, and was named after Rev. John Dunmore Lang, a Member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly and advocate of Australian independence...
, adjoining Grayndler, was abolished. The sitting Labor MP for Lang, Frank Stewart
Frank Stewart
Francis Eugene "Frank" Stewart , a former Australian politician and rugby league footballer, was a member of the Australian House of Representatives representing Lang between 1953 and 1977 and subsequently Grayndler between 1977 and 1979 for the Australian Labor Party. During his term in...
, challenged Tony Whitlam for Labor endorsement in Grayndler and defeated him. Whitlam was forced to stand for another seat, the marginal Liberal
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...
seat of St George
Division of St George
The Division of St George was an Australian Electoral Division in the state of New South Wales. It was located in the southern suburbs of Sydney, and covered the suburbs of Hurstville, Rockdale and Arncliffe....
, where he was defeated at the December 1977 election by the sitting Liberal member, Maurice Neil
Maurice Neil
Maurice James Neil was an Australian politician. Born in Manchester, England, he migrated to Australia and attended the University of Sydney. He became a barrister and then migration officer for New South Wales in London...
.
He attempted a return to federal politics in 1979, but was defeated in a preselection battle for the seat of Grayndler.
Return to the bar
Whitlam did not return to politics. Instead he had a successful career at the Sydney bar.Judicial appointments
Whitlam was appointed a judge of the Federal Court of AustraliaFederal Court of Australia
The Federal Court of Australia is an Australian superior court of record which has jurisdiction to deal with most civil disputes governed by federal law , along with some summary criminal matters. Cases are heard at first instance by single Judges...
in 1993. In 1995 he was also appointed a judge of the Supreme Court of the Australian Capital Territory
Supreme Court of the Australian Capital Territory
The Supreme Court of the Australian Capital Territory is the superior court for the ACT. It has unlimited jurisdiction within the territory in civil matters , and hears the most serious criminal matters...
. Whitlam was one of only five politicians to have served in both the Parliament of Australia
Parliament of Australia
The Parliament of Australia, also known as the Commonwealth Parliament or Federal Parliament, is the legislative branch of the government of Australia. It is bicameral, largely modelled in the Westminster tradition, but with some influences from the United States Congress...
and the Federal Court of Australia
Federal Court of Australia
The Federal Court of Australia is an Australian superior court of record which has jurisdiction to deal with most civil disputes governed by federal law , along with some summary criminal matters. Cases are heard at first instance by single Judges...
, alongside Nigel Bowen
Nigel Bowen
Sir Nigel Hubert Bowen, AC, KBE was an Australian politician and judge.-Biography:Bowen was born in a log cabin in Summerland, British Columbia, Canada, of Welsh and English parents. He came to Australia as a boy and was educated for two years in England and later at The King's School in Parramatta...
, Robert Ellicott, Merv Everett and John Reeves.
After retiring from his judgeships Whitlam returned again to the bar.