Victor Garland
Encyclopedia
Sir Victor Garland KBE (born 5 May 1934), usually known as Vic Garland, is an Australian former politician, Australian High Commissioner in the United Kingdom and director of many UK and US public companies. A Liberal Party
member of the Australian House of Representatives
, he represented the Division of Curtin
in Western Australia
from April 1969 to January 1981. He was subsequently a high-ranking diplomat.
and raised in Perth
, Garland was educated at Hale School
and the University of Western Australia
, from which he received a Bachelor of Arts
majoring in economics
. He became a chartered accountant like his father, and became involved in community affairs and served on the Town of Claremont
council. As Vice-President of the Liberal Party of Western Australian, he was elected to the House of Representatives in a by-election
for the Curtin electorate, following the resignation of Sir Paul Hasluck
in 1969 to become Governor-General of Australia
.
Garland held a number of ministerial roles during the William McMahon
and Malcolm Fraser
governments, starting as Minister for Supply
(1971–1972) and Minister Assisting the Treasurer under McMahon until the Coalition's defeat by the Australian Labor Party
in 1972. He was Parliamentary Advisor to the Australian Mission to the United Nations General Assembly, New York, 1973. He served as Chief Opposition Whip from June 1974 to March 1975.
When the Coalition regained power under Fraser's leadership, after the dismissal of the Whitlam government in 1975, Garland was made Minister for Post and Telecommunications
(replacing the former portfolio of Postmaster-General). Garland resigned from the ministry in 1976 after he was accused of committing electoral offences, although the Chief Magistrate of the ACT dismissed the charges. For several months Garland remained a backbencher before being appointed the first Chairman of the House of Representatives Expenditure Committee (1976–1977), Minister for Veterans' Affairs
(1977–1978), Minister for Special Trade Representations
(1978–1979) and Minister for Business and Consumer Affairs
(1979–1980).
Following the November 1980 federal election
, Garland resigned from Parliament on 22 January 1981 and he served as Australian High Commissioner in the United Kingdom from 1981 to 1983. In 1982, he became a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire
(KBE).
Following his departure from the High Commissioner's post, he stayed on in London
, serving as Director both non-executive director and executive director of over 30 companies in the UK and US. The most notable were the Prudential Assurance plc for nearly 10 years, the South Bank Board (Royal Festival Hall Complex) as Vice-Chairman for 15 years, The Throgmorton Trust plc, Classic ITC Threadneedle AMC (India), Nelson Hurst plc, Signet Group plc, The Ark Funds Inc. (US), Mitchell Cotts plc, Fidelity Asian Values plc and many finance companies, some of which he chaired.
In July 2007 he returned to Perth, 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...
member of the Australian House of Representatives
Australian 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....
, he represented the Division of Curtin
Division of Curtin
The Division of Curtin is an Australian Electoral Division in Western Australia. The division was created in 1949 and is named for John Curtin, who was Prime Minister of Australia 1941-45. It is located in the wealthy beachside suburbs of Perth, including Claremont, Cottesloe, Mosman Park,...
in 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...
from April 1969 to January 1981. He was subsequently a high-ranking diplomat.
Biography
Born in Western AustraliaWestern 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...
and raised in Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
, Garland was educated at Hale School
Hale School
Hale School is a selective, independent, Anglican day and boarding school for boys, located in Wembley Downs, a coastal suburb of Perth, Western Australia....
and the University of Western Australia
University of Western Australia
The University of Western Australia was established by an Act of the Western Australian Parliament in February 1911, and began teaching students for the first time in 1913. It is the oldest university in the state of Western Australia and the only university in the state to be a member of the...
, from which he received a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
majoring in economics
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
. He became a chartered accountant like his father, and became involved in community affairs and served on the Town of Claremont
Town of Claremont
The Town of Claremont is a Local Government Area in the inner western suburbs of the Western Australian capital city of Perth, located about halfway between the port city of Fremantle and Perth's central business district...
council. As Vice-President of the Liberal Party of Western Australian, he was elected to the House of Representatives in a by-election
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
for the Curtin electorate, following the resignation of Sir Paul Hasluck
Paul Hasluck
Sir Paul Meernaa Caedwalla Hasluck KG GCMG GCVO KStJ was an Australian historian, poet, public servant and politician, and the 17th Governor-General of Australia.-Early life:...
in 1969 to become Governor-General of Australia
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...
.
Garland held a number of ministerial roles during the William McMahon
William McMahon
Sir William "Billy" McMahon, GCMG, CH , was an Australian Liberal politician and the 20th Prime Minister of Australia...
and Malcolm Fraser
Malcolm Fraser
John Malcolm Fraser AC, CH, GCL, PC is a former Australian Liberal Party politician who was the 22nd Prime Minister of Australia. He came to power in the 1975 election following the dismissal of the Whitlam Labor government, in which he played a key role...
governments, starting as Minister for Supply
Minister for Defence (Australia)
The Minister for Defence of Australia administers his portfolio through the Australian Defence Organisation, which comprises the Department of Defence and the Australian Defence Force. Stephen Smith is the current Minister.-Ministers for Defence:...
(1971–1972) and Minister Assisting the Treasurer under McMahon until the Coalition's defeat by the Australian Labor Party
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...
in 1972. He was Parliamentary Advisor to the Australian Mission to the United Nations General Assembly, New York, 1973. He served as Chief Opposition Whip from June 1974 to March 1975.
When the Coalition regained power under Fraser's leadership, after the dismissal of the Whitlam government in 1975, Garland was made Minister for Post and Telecommunications
Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy (Australia)
The Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy is currently Senator the Hon Stephen Conroy. He replaced Senator the Hon Helen Coonan on 3 December 2007.-Portfolio:...
(replacing the former portfolio of Postmaster-General). Garland resigned from the ministry in 1976 after he was accused of committing electoral offences, although the Chief Magistrate of the ACT dismissed the charges. For several months Garland remained a backbencher before being appointed the first Chairman of the House of Representatives Expenditure Committee (1976–1977), Minister for Veterans' Affairs
Minister for Veterans' Affairs (Australia)
The Australian Minister for Veterans' Affairs oversees income support, compensation, care and commemoration programs for more than 400,000 veterans and their widows, widowers and dependants....
(1977–1978), Minister for Special Trade Representations
Minister for Trade (Australia)
The Australian Minister for Trade has been Dr. Craig Emerson since 14 September 2010.-Portfolio:Currently the Minister for Trade administers the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade jointly with the Minister for Foreign Affairs, although prior to 1987 there was a separate Department of Trade...
(1978–1979) and Minister for Business and Consumer Affairs
Minister for Competition Policy and Consumer Affairs (Australia)
The Australian Minister for Competition Policy and Consumer Affairs administers his portfolio through the Treasury. Responsibility for competition policy and consumer affairs currently rests with the Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasurer, the Hon David Bradbury MP.-List of Ministers for...
(1979–1980).
Following the November 1980 federal election
Australian federal election, 1980
Federal elections were held in Australia on 18 October 1980. All 125 seats in the House of Representatives, and 34 of the 64 seats in the Senate, were up for election. The incumbent Liberal Party of Australia led by Malcolm Fraser with coalition partner the National Country Party led by Doug...
, Garland resigned from Parliament on 22 January 1981 and he served as Australian High Commissioner in the United Kingdom from 1981 to 1983. In 1982, he became a Knight Commander of the 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...
(KBE).
Following his departure from the High Commissioner's post, he stayed on in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, serving as Director both non-executive director and executive director of over 30 companies in the UK and US. The most notable were the Prudential Assurance plc for nearly 10 years, the South Bank Board (Royal Festival Hall Complex) as Vice-Chairman for 15 years, The Throgmorton Trust plc, Classic ITC Threadneedle AMC (India), Nelson Hurst plc, Signet Group plc, The Ark Funds Inc. (US), Mitchell Cotts plc, Fidelity Asian Values plc and many finance companies, some of which he chaired.
In July 2007 he returned to Perth, Australia.