Lionel Bowen

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The Honourable
Lionel Bowen
AC
Lionel Bowen.jpg
6th Deputy Prime Minister of Australia
In office
11 March 1983 – 4 April 1990
Prime Minister Bob Hawke
Preceded by Doug Anthony
Succeeded by Paul Keating
Deputy Leader of the Labor Party
In office
22 December 1977 – 4 April 1990
Leader Bill Hayden
Bob Hawke
Preceded by Tom Uren
Succeeded by Paul Keating
Deputy Leader of the Opposition
In office
22 December 1977 – 11 March 1983
Leader Bill Hayden
Bob Hawke
Preceded by Tom Uren
Succeeded by John Howard
Attorney-General
In office
13 December 1984 – 4 April 1990
Leader Bob Hawke
Preceded by Gareth Evans
Succeeded by Michael Duffy
Vice-President of the Executive Council
In office
14 July 1983 – 24 July 1987
Leader Bob Hawke
Preceded by Mick Young
Succeeded by Mick Young
Minister for Trade
In office
11 March 1983 – 13 December 1984
Leader Bob Hawke
Preceded by Doug Anthony
Succeeded by John Dawkins
Minister for Manufacturing Industry
In office
6 June 1975 – 11 November 1975
Leader Gough Whitlam
Preceded by Jim McClelland
Succeeded by Bob Cotton
Special Minister of State
In office
30 November 1973 – 6 June 1975
Leader Gough Whitlam
Preceded by Don Willesee
Succeeded by Doug McClelland
Postmaster-General
In office
19 December 1972 – 12 June 1974
Leader Gough Whitlam
Preceded by Lance Barnard
Succeeded by Reg Bishop
Member of the Australian Parliament
for Kingsford Smith
In office
25 October 1969 – 19 February 1990
Preceded by Dan Curtin
Succeeded by Laurie Brereton
Personal details
Born (1922-12-28)28 December 1922
Ultimo, New South Wales
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Sydney, New South Wales
Nationality Australian
Political party Australian Labor Party
Spouse(s) Claire Clement
Alma mater University of Sydney
Occupation Solicitor
Religion Roman Catholic[1]
Military service
Allegiance Australia Australia
Service/branch Australian Army
Years of service 1941–1945
Rank Corporal

Lionel Frost Bowen, AC (28 December 1922 – 1 April 2012) was an Australian politician and senior Labor Party figure, serving in the ministries of Gough Whitlam and Bob Hawke. He was Deputy Prime Minister of Australia from 1983 to 1990.

Personal life

Bowen was born in the Sydney suburb of Ultimo. His father left the family when Bowen was aged 10 years and Bowen's mother looked after her invalid brother and elderly mother, while working as a cleaner.[2] Bowen was educated at Cleveland Street public school, Marcellin College Randwick and Sydney University where he graduated with a LLB in 1946 and became a solicitor. He served in the Second Australian Imperial Force from 1941 to 1945, reaching the rank of corporal.[3][4]

Bowen and his wife, Claire, married in 1953 and had three daughters and five sons. He lived in the same home in Kensington for 73 years.[5]

Tony Bowen, a son of Lionel and Claire Bowen and a member of the Labor Party, was elected Mayor of the City of Randwick in 2012.[6] In 2013, Tony was an unsuccessful candidate for ALP preselection for Lionel's old seat of Kingsford Smith. [7]

Political career

Bowen was elected to Randwick Council and became Mayor in 1948.[8] He served in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly from 1962 to 1969, representing Randwick,[4] before being elected to the Parliament of Australia in 1969, to the seat of Kingsford Smith in the House of Representatives. From 1972 to 1975 he served successively as Minister for Manufacturing Industry, Special Minister of State and Postmaster-General in the Whitlam cabinet.

Bowen played a relatively quiet role in politics, preferring to work behind the scenes.[2][5][8] A significant achievement came as acting education minister in the Whitlam government, when he managed to split the opposition and win National Party support in the Senate for needs-based funding for non-government schools.[9]

When Whitlam resigned as Labor leader after his defeat at the 1977 election, Bowen contested the party leadership but was defeated by Bill Hayden and became Deputy Leader. He retained this position when Bob Hawke became Leader in February 1983. When Hawke won the March 1983 election, Bowen became Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade in the first Hawke Ministry. In July 1983, he was appointed Vice-President of the Executive Council and in the second Hawke ministry, he became Attorney-General, losing the Trade portfolio.

In 1988 Bowen sponsored four referendums to reform the Australian Constitution (see Australian referendum, 1988), but all were defeated. He retired from federal politics prior to the March 1990 election, and was succeeded as Deputy Prime Minister by Paul Keating.

Post political career

Bowen served as Chairman of the National Gallery of Australia between 1990 and 1995 and shared a strong interest in horseracing.[5]

In 1991, he was appointed a Companion of the Order of Australia "in recognition of service to the community and politics."[10] In 2001, he received a Centenary Medal.[11]

Bowen died from pneumonia on 1 April 2012[12] after years afflicted with Alzheimer's disease.[5] He was given a state funeral on 11 April 2012.[13]

Legacy

The Family Court of Australia and the Federal Magistrates Court are located in the Lionel Bowen Building in Goulburn Street, Sydney. The City of Randwick main library is known as the Bowen Library.

Gallery

References

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Civic offices
Preceded by Mayor of Randwick
1951
Succeeded by
Lou Walsh
Preceded by Mayor of Randwick
1955
Succeeded by
Ranville Ashmore Popplewell
Parliament of Australia
Preceded by Member for Kingsford Smith
1969–1990
Succeeded by
Laurie Brereton
Political offices
Preceded by Postmaster-General
1972–1974
Succeeded by
Reg Bishop
Preceded by Deputy Prime Minister of Australia
1983–1990
Succeeded by
Paul Keating
Minister for Trade
1983–1984
Succeeded by
John Dawkins
Preceded by Attorney-General
1984–1990
Succeeded by
Michael Duffy
Party political offices
Preceded by Deputy Leader of the Labor Party
1977–1990
Succeeded by
Paul Keating