Bruce Duncan
Encyclopedia
Robert Bruce Duncan was an Australia
n politician. He was the member for Lismore
in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
from 1965 to 1988, first as a member of the Country Party
and then as an independent
.
Duncan was born in Lismore
to farmer Robert Duncan and his wife Mary Mustard. He was educated at public schools in the Lismore area and became a dairy farmer at Konorigan. On 21 August 1953 he married Marlene Brown, with whom he would have two sons.
In 1965, Duncan was preselected as one of two Country Party
candidates for the marginal Labor
seat of Lismore
, held by Keith Compton
. The Liberal Party
also endorsed a candidate, making the seat a three-cornered contest. In the event, Duncan easily led the non-Labor candidates and was able to defeat Compton on the other candidates' preferences. Duncan established a strong electoral record, making Lismore a safe seat in 1968 and being elected unopposed in 1971. He continued to hold the seat with large margins over the following years. In 1982, the National Country Party, as it had become, changed its name to the National Party. Duncan objected to the exclusion of the word "Country" from the party's name, and resigned. The National Party, however, did not oppose his election in 1984 and he won his seat easily as an independent
. Duncan retired in 1988, when the seat went back to the National Party.
Duncan died in Sydney
in 2005.
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 member for Lismore
Electoral district of Lismore
Lismore is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales. It is represented by Thomas George of the National 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 1988, first as a member of 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...
and then as an independent
Independent (politician)
In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do...
.
Duncan was born in Lismore
Lismore, New South Wales
Lismore is a subtropical town in northeastern New South Wales, Australia. Lismore is the main population centre in the City of Lismore local government area. Lismore is a regional centre in the Northern Rivers region of the State.-History:...
to farmer Robert Duncan and his wife Mary Mustard. He was educated at public schools in the Lismore area and became a dairy farmer at Konorigan. On 21 August 1953 he married Marlene Brown, with whom he would have two sons.
In 1965, Duncan was preselected as one of two 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...
candidates for the marginal 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...
seat of Lismore
Electoral district of Lismore
Lismore is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales. It is represented by Thomas George of the National Party of Australia....
, held by Keith Compton
Keith Compton
Keith Clive Compton was an Australian politician. He was an Australian Labor Party member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly from 1959 to 1965, representing the electorate of Lismore....
. 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...
also endorsed a candidate, making the seat a three-cornered contest. In the event, Duncan easily led the non-Labor candidates and was able to defeat Compton on the other candidates' preferences. Duncan established a strong electoral record, making Lismore a safe seat in 1968 and being elected unopposed in 1971. He continued to hold the seat with large margins over the following years. In 1982, the National Country Party, as it had become, changed its name to the National Party. Duncan objected to the exclusion of the word "Country" from the party's name, and resigned. The National Party, however, did not oppose his election in 1984 and he won his seat easily as an independent
Independent (politician)
In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do...
. Duncan retired in 1988, when the seat went back to the National Party.
Duncan died in Sydney
Sydney
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...
in 2005.