Don Willesee
Encyclopedia
Donald Robert "Don" Willesee (14 April 19169 September 2003) was an Australia
n politician, a member of the Australian Senate
for 25 years representing Western Australia
, and a Cabinet minister in the Whitlam
government.
The Catholic Willesee was born in Derby, Western Australia
and educated at state and convent schools at Carnarvon
in the same state. He left school at 14 (his father and brother had lost their jobs during the Great Depression
), to work as a postal clerk in Carnarvon, and immediately joined the Australian Union of Postal Clerks and Telegraphists
. He eventually became state secretary of this organisation. He later worked as a telegraphist in Perth
. In 1940 he married Gwendoline Clarke.
when he was 21 and was elected as a senator for Western Australia in 1950 at the age of 33, the youngest Australian senator elected up to that time. He worked with Whitlam to reform the Labor Party prior to the 1972 election
. According to Kim Beazley
he was a "... key assistant to Gough Whitlam as he set about the task of restructuring the Labor Party ... and made an intelligent, brilliant rabble fit for government."
Following the 1972 election, Willesee was appointed as Special Minister of State
, Vice-President of the Executive Council
, Minister assisting the Prime Minister and Minister assisting the Minister for Foreign Affairs in the second Whitlam Ministry
(which followed the "two-man Ministry" from 5 December to 19 December 1972). As Special Minister of State he endorsed the establishment of a computerised library information system to connect national, state and university libraries, which has continued to evolve. Whitlam relinquished the position of Minister for Foreign Affairs to him on 30 November 1973. During this period he had major responsibility for implementing the Whitlam government's initiative in improving relations with Asia. He was opposed to Indonesia
's invasion of East Timor
and is quoted as having said in 1975: He did not stand for re-election at the 1975 double dissolution election
.
, Geraldine, Don junior and Peter.
At his death, the Prime Minister said, According to the then leader of the opposition,
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, a member of the Australian 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,...
for 25 years representing 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...
, and a Cabinet minister in the Whitlam
Gough Whitlam
Edward Gough Whitlam, AC, QC , known as Gough Whitlam , served as the 21st Prime Minister of Australia. Whitlam led the Australian Labor Party to power at the 1972 election and retained government at the 1974 election, before being dismissed by Governor-General Sir John Kerr at the climax of the...
government.
The Catholic Willesee was born in Derby, Western Australia
Derby, Western Australia
Derby is a town in the Kimberley region of Western Australia. At the 2006 census, Derby had a population of 3,093. Along with Broome and Kununurra, it is one of only three towns in the Kimberley to have a population over 2,000...
and educated at state and convent schools at Carnarvon
Carnarvon, Western Australia
Carnarvon is a coastal town situated approximately 900 kilometres north of Perth, Western Australia. It lies at the mouth of the Gascoyne River on the Indian Ocean. The popular Shark Bay world heritage area lies to the south of the town and the Ningaloo Reef lies to the north...
in the same state. He left school at 14 (his father and brother had lost their jobs during the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
), to work as a postal clerk in Carnarvon, and immediately joined the Australian Union of Postal Clerks and Telegraphists
Communication Workers Union of Australia
The Communication Workers Union of Australia is a trade union in Australia. It is a division of the Communications, Electrical and Plumbing Union of Australia, and is affiliated with Union Network International....
. He eventually became state secretary of this organisation. He later worked as a telegraphist 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....
. In 1940 he married Gwendoline Clarke.
Political career
Willesee joined the Australian Labor PartyAustralian 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...
when he was 21 and was elected as a senator for Western Australia in 1950 at the age of 33, the youngest Australian senator elected up to that time. He worked with Whitlam to reform the Labor Party prior to the 1972 election
Australian federal election, 1972
Federal elections were held in Australia on 2 December 1972. All 125 seats in the House of Representatives were up for election. The Liberal Party of Australia had been in power since 1949, under Prime Minister of Australia William McMahon since March 1971 with coalition partner the Country Party...
. According to Kim Beazley
Kim Beazley
In the October 1998 election, Labor polled a majority of the two-party vote and received the largest swing to a first-term opposition since 1934. However, due to the uneven nature of the swing, Labor came up eight seats short of making Beazley Prime Minister....
he was a "... key assistant to Gough Whitlam as he set about the task of restructuring the Labor Party ... and made an intelligent, brilliant rabble fit for government."
Following the 1972 election, Willesee was appointed as Special Minister of State
Special Minister of State
The Special Minister of State , currently the Special Minister of State for the Public Service and Integrity is a ministerial portfolio in the Australian Government Department of Finance and Deregulation responsible for various parliamentary, electoral, financial and oversight affairs.Other areas...
, Vice-President of the Executive Council
Vice-President of the Executive Council
The Vice-President of the Federal Executive Council is a position in Australian federal governments, whose holder acts as presiding officer of the Federal Executive Council in the absence of the Governor-General....
, Minister assisting the Prime Minister and Minister assisting the Minister for Foreign Affairs in the second Whitlam Ministry
Second Whitlam Ministry
The Second Whitlam Ministry was the forty-ninth Australian Commonwealth ministry, and ran from 19 December 1972 to 12 June 1974.Australian Labor Party*Hon Gough Whitlam, QC MP: Prime Minister. Minister for Foreign Affairs...
(which followed the "two-man Ministry" from 5 December to 19 December 1972). As Special Minister of State he endorsed the establishment of a computerised library information system to connect national, state and university libraries, which has continued to evolve. Whitlam relinquished the position of Minister for Foreign Affairs to him on 30 November 1973. During this period he had major responsibility for implementing the Whitlam government's initiative in improving relations with Asia. He was opposed to Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
's invasion of East Timor
East Timor
The Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, commonly known as East Timor , is a state in Southeast Asia. It comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, the nearby islands of Atauro and Jaco, and Oecusse, an exclave on the northwestern side of the island, within Indonesian West Timor...
and is quoted as having said in 1975: He did not stand for re-election at the 1975 double dissolution election
Australian federal election, 1975
Federal elections were held in Australia on 13 December 1975. All 127 seats in the House of Representatives, and all 64 seats in the Senate were up for election following a double dissolution of both Houses....
.
Death
Willesee died in Joondalup Hospital, Joondalup, two weeks after a heart attack, survived by his wife Gwen, and their six children, Colleen, Mike, TerryTerry Willesee
Terry Willesee is an Australian journalist and television presenter.-Biography:Willesee is the son of Don Willesee, a long-time member of the Australian Senate and Whitlam Government minister. He is the brother of Mike Willesee, also a journalist and television presenter.-Media career:Willesee...
, Geraldine, Don junior and Peter.
At his death, the Prime Minister said, According to the then leader of the opposition,