Ben Hardman
Encyclopedia
Benedict Paul Hardman (born 4 August 1964) is an Australia
n politician. He was an Australian Labor Party
member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly
from 1999 to 2010, representing the electorate of Seymour
.
Hardman was born in Kiama
, New South Wales
. He was educated at St Peter and Paul Primary School and St Gregory's College
, Campbelltown
. He worked as a steward with the Wagga Wagga Leagues Club from 1982 to 1983, and as a clerk for the Wagga Wagga City Council from 1983 to 1986, before moving to Victoria
to study teaching at the University of Ballarat
. He graduated in 1989, and worked as a teacher at Highlands Primary School before being appointed principal of Flowerdale Primary School in 1996, a role he held until his election to parliament.
Hardman was preselected as the Labor candidate for the state seat of Seymour
for the 1999 state election. Seymour was a Liberal-leaning seat that had been easily held by retiring Liberal minister Marie Tehan
, and Hardman was not expected to win; however, amidst the Bracks government's surprise victory he emerged successful, eking out a narrow win on election day. He increased his majority sharply amidst Labor's landslide re-election in 2002, and was again easily re-elected in 2006
. He was defeated in 2010.
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 an 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...
member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly
Victorian Legislative Assembly
The Victorian Legislative Assembly is the lower house of the Parliament of Victoria in Australia. Together with the Victorian Legislative Council, the upper house, it sits in Parliament House in the state capital, Melbourne.-History:...
from 1999 to 2010, representing the electorate of Seymour
Electoral district of Seymour
The Electoral district of Seymour is an electoral district of the Victorian Legislative Assembly. It covers rural territory just north of Melbourne, including the towns of Alexandra, Healesville, Kinglake, Marysville, Seymour and Yea....
.
Hardman was born in Kiama
Kiama, New South Wales
-Transport:The town is served by Kiama Station on the South Coast Line. It is served by road in the form of the Princes Highway and the Kiama Bypass.-Attractions:...
, New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
. He was educated at St Peter and Paul Primary School and St Gregory's College
St Gregory's College, Campbelltown
St Gregory's College is a Catholic, secondary, day and boarding school for boys, located in Campbelltown, a south-western suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia....
, Campbelltown
Campbelltown, New South Wales
Campbelltown is a suburb in south-western Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Campbelltown is located 51 kilometres south-west of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre for the local government area of the City of Campbelltown.- History :Campbelltown...
. He worked as a steward with the Wagga Wagga Leagues Club from 1982 to 1983, and as a clerk for the Wagga Wagga City Council from 1983 to 1986, before moving to Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
to study teaching at the University of Ballarat
University of Ballarat
The University of Ballarat is a dual-sector university in Ballarat, Victoria, Australia. It was formed by the passage of an Act of the Victorian Parliament in 1994, from the Ballarat College of Advanced Education...
. He graduated in 1989, and worked as a teacher at Highlands Primary School before being appointed principal of Flowerdale Primary School in 1996, a role he held until his election to parliament.
Hardman was preselected as the Labor candidate for the state seat of Seymour
Electoral district of Seymour
The Electoral district of Seymour is an electoral district of the Victorian Legislative Assembly. It covers rural territory just north of Melbourne, including the towns of Alexandra, Healesville, Kinglake, Marysville, Seymour and Yea....
for the 1999 state election. Seymour was a Liberal-leaning seat that had been easily held by retiring Liberal minister Marie Tehan
Marie Tehan
Marie Therese O'Brien Tehan was an Australian parliamentarian and lawyer....
, and Hardman was not expected to win; however, amidst the Bracks government's surprise victory he emerged successful, eking out a narrow win on election day. He increased his majority sharply amidst Labor's landslide re-election in 2002, and was again easily re-elected in 2006
Victorian state election, 2006
An election for the 56th Parliament of Victoria took place on Saturday, 25 November 2006. Just over 3 million Victorians registered to vote elected 88 members to the Legislative Assembly and, for the first time, 40 members to the Legislative Council under a proportional representation system...
. He was defeated in 2010.