David Hamer
Encyclopedia
David John Hamer, AM
, DSC
(5 September 1923 – 14 January 2002) was an Australia
n politician. Born in Melbourne
, he was educated at Geelong Grammar School
and then the Royal Australian Naval College. He served in the Royal Australian Navy
from 1940 to 1968. He was a lieutenant aboard during the battles of Leyte
and Lingayen Gulf. He was an honorary aide-de-camp
to the Governor-General
, Director of Naval Intelligence 1961 from 1963, Captain of and Captain of the Australian Destroyer Squadron 1963-65.
In 1969, David was elected to the Australian House of Representatives
as the Liberal
member for Isaacs
. Narrowly defeated by Labor
candidate Gareth Clayton
in 1974, he became a political columnist for The Age newspaper and undertook a Master of Arts at Monash University
in Constitutional Law, studying the historical role of the Australian Senate. He was re-elected to Isaacs in 1975 but contested the Senate
in 1977. He was successful, and remained a Liberal senator for Victoria until his retirement in 1990. A strong supporter of improving the function of the Senate as a house of review, he was Chairman of Committees as well as Deputy President of the Senate (despite being a member of the Opposition) under the Hawke and Keating Labor governments from 1983-1990.
Hamer was also interested in promoting the arts in Australia, helping establish the Arts Council of Victoria, and serving as President of the Arts Council of Australia
and of the Australian Film Institute
. He was a keen supporter of the establishment of the National Film and Sound Archive
as a way to collect and make accessible Australia's rich audiovisual history.
Hamer died in 2002 of leukaemia.
His publications include: The Australian Senate 1901-1918, An Appraisal (1976) Can Responsible Government Survive In Australia? (1994 and 2004) Bombers Versus Battleships - The Struggle Between Ships and Aircraft for Control of the Surface of the Sea(1998)
Hamer's brother was Sir Rupert Hamer
(Dick Hamer), the Premier of Victoria 1972-81. His brother Alan has been a Rhodes Scholar, chemist and businessman. His sister Alison (Patrick) was a historian at Melbourne University. In 2004 the Hamer Family Fund was set up in honour of all four siblings and its aims include projects that advance the arts, the environment and good government in Australia.
Order of Australia
The Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, "for the purpose of according recognition to Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or for meritorious service"...
, DSC
DSC
-in academia:* D.Sc., Doctor of Science* Doctor of Surgical Chiropody, superseded in the 1960s by Doctor of Podiatric Medicine* Dalton State College, Georgia* Daytona State College, Florida* Deep Springs College, California* Dixie State College of Utah...
(5 September 1923 – 14 January 2002) was 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 politician. Born in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, he was educated at Geelong Grammar School
Geelong Grammar School
Geelong Grammar School is an independent, Anglican, co-educational, boarding and day school. The school's main campus is located at Corio, on the northern outskirts of Geelong, Victoria, Australia, overlooking Corio Bay and Limeburners Bay....
and then the Royal Australian Naval College. He served in the Royal Australian Navy
Royal Australian Navy
The Royal Australian Navy is the naval branch of the Australian Defence Force. Following the Federation of Australia in 1901, the ships and resources of the separate colonial navies were integrated into a national force: the Commonwealth Naval Forces...
from 1940 to 1968. He was a lieutenant aboard during the battles of Leyte
Battle of Leyte
The Battle of Leyte in the Pacific campaign of World War II was the invasion and conquest of the island of Leyte in the Philippines by American and Filipino guerrilla forces under the command of General Douglas MacArthur, who fought against the Imperial Japanese Army in the Philippines led by...
and Lingayen Gulf. He was an honorary aide-de-camp
Aide-de-camp
An aide-de-camp is a personal assistant, secretary, or adjutant to a person of high rank, usually a senior military officer or a head of state...
to 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...
, Director of Naval Intelligence 1961 from 1963, Captain of and Captain of the Australian Destroyer Squadron 1963-65.
In 1969, David was elected to 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....
as the 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...
member for Isaacs
Division of Isaacs
The Division of Isaacs is an Australian Electoral Division in the state of Victoria. It is located in the south-eastern suburbs of Melbourne, on the eastern shores of Port Phillip Bay...
. Narrowly defeated by 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...
candidate Gareth Clayton
Gareth Clayton
Gareth Clayton was an Australian politician. Born in Hampshire, England, he was educated at Liverpool University, and at Makerere University in Uganda. He became a teacher and a scientific officer for the Australian Road Research Board...
in 1974, he became a political columnist for The Age newspaper and undertook a Master of Arts at Monash University
Monash University
Monash University is a public university based in Melbourne, Victoria. It was founded in 1958 and is the second oldest university in the state. Monash is a member of Australia's Group of Eight and the ASAIHL....
in Constitutional Law, studying the historical role of the Australian Senate. He was re-elected to Isaacs in 1975 but contested the Senate
Australian Senate
The Senate is the upper house of the bicameral Parliament of Australia, the lower house being the House of Representatives. Senators are popularly elected under a system of proportional representation. Senators are elected for a term that is usually six years; after a double dissolution, however,...
in 1977. He was successful, and remained a Liberal senator for Victoria until his retirement in 1990. A strong supporter of improving the function of the Senate as a house of review, he was Chairman of Committees as well as Deputy President of the Senate (despite being a member of the Opposition) under the Hawke and Keating Labor governments from 1983-1990.
Hamer was also interested in promoting the arts in Australia, helping establish the Arts Council of Victoria, and serving as President of the Arts Council of Australia
Regional Arts Australia
Regional Arts Australia is the national peak body for regional arts organisations throughout Australia. Formed in 1966 as the Arts Council of Australia, it is a federation of the peak non-metropolitan community arts organisations in each of the Australian states and territories. It advocates better...
and of the Australian Film Institute
Australian Film Institute
The Australian Film Institute was founded in 1958 as a non-profit organisation devoted to developing an active film culture in Australia and fostering engagement between the general public and the Australian film industry...
. He was a keen supporter of the establishment of the National Film and Sound Archive
National Film and Sound Archive
The National Film and Sound Archive is Australia’s audiovisual archive, responsible for developing, preserving, maintaining, promoting and providing access to a national collection of audiovisual materials and related items...
as a way to collect and make accessible Australia's rich audiovisual history.
Hamer died in 2002 of leukaemia.
His publications include: The Australian Senate 1901-1918, An Appraisal (1976) Can Responsible Government Survive In Australia? (1994 and 2004) Bombers Versus Battleships - The Struggle Between Ships and Aircraft for Control of the Surface of the Sea(1998)
Hamer's brother was Sir Rupert Hamer
Rupert Hamer
Sir Rupert James Hamer, AC, KCMG, ED , generally known until he was knighted in 1982 as Dick Hamer, Australian Liberal Party politician, was the 39th Premier of Victoria, serving from 1972 to 1981.-Early years:...
(Dick Hamer), the Premier of Victoria 1972-81. His brother Alan has been a Rhodes Scholar, chemist and businessman. His sister Alison (Patrick) was a historian at Melbourne University. In 2004 the Hamer Family Fund was set up in honour of all four siblings and its aims include projects that advance the arts, the environment and good government in Australia.