Edward Oldfield
Encyclopedia
Edward Peate Oldfield (23 August 1920 – 2 December 1990) was an Australian politician, and a member of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly
from 1951 until 1965 representing the seats of Maylands
and Mount Lawley
at different times.
, an inner Perth
suburb, to Ernest Henry Oldfield, a commercial traveller, and Lena Eva (née Peate). He attended Victoria Park Primary School and Perth Boys' School, and obtained work as a truck driver by 1940. On 20 May 1940, with Australia actively involved in the Second World War, Oldfield enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force
and served in Egypt, Syria and New Guinea with the HQ Co. 2/16th Battalion. On 24 November 1944, he married Margaret Smith at St George's Cathedral, Perth, with whom he had two sons. After attaining the rank of Private, he was discharged in 1945.
After his war service, he worked as a commercial traveller with Wigmores. In April 1949, he was elected to the Bayswater Road Board as a councillor, in which role he served for six years. He had also joined the Liberal Party
and, following the death on 21 January 1951 of the long-serving Independent Liberal member for Maylands
, he contested and won the resulting by-election on 17 February 1951 for the party. He served two terms in that capacity.
Due to a boundary redistribution at the 1956 election, Maylands had become a safe seat for the Labor Party, so Oldfield instead ran for the neighbouring seat of Mount Lawley
. However, former Liberal minister Arthur Abbott was the Liberal Party's official candidate, and in a two-horse race, Oldfield won with 67.8% of the votes. He was subsequently refused admission to the Parliamentary Party, a move which was not uncontroversial as it was seen as rejecting "unendorsed candidates who had clearly won the confidence of electors". He sat in Parliament as an "Independent Liberal", and was appointed by the Labor government to a Select Committee inquiring into welfare conditions in the Laverton-Warburton Range area.
At the 1959 election
, Labor narrowly lost to the Liberal-Country coalition led by David Brand
. Oldfield and another Independent Liberal, Bill Grayden
, held the balance of power. In January 1960, Oldfield had joined the Labor Party and was promised unopposed preselection for the 1962 election by opposition leader Albert Hawke
. This meant that the Liberal-Country government could not pass electoral legislation which required a majority on the floor, and the scheduled redistribution took place under the old Act. This returned Oldfield to his original Maylands seat.
He continued to serve as a Labor member of parliament until 1965, when he was narrowly defeated by the Liberals' Robert Marshall. He pursued other forms of employment, including self-employment and investing in various companies. He served as a councillor in the WA Industrial Institute and the Council for the Blind, and was president of the Maylands RSL.
He died at home in Noranda
, a north-eastern Perth suburb, and was cremated at Karrakatta Cemetery
.
Western Australian Legislative Assembly
The Legislative Assembly, or lower house, is one of the two chambers of parliament in the Australian state of Western Australia. It sits in Parliament House in the state capital, Perth....
from 1951 until 1965 representing the seats of Maylands
Electoral district of Maylands
Maylands is a Legislative Assembly electorate in the state of Western Australia. Maylands is named for the inner northeastern Perth suburb of Maylands which falls within its borders....
and Mount Lawley
Electoral district of Mount Lawley
Mount Lawley is an electorate in the state of Western Australia. Mount Lawley is named for the inner north-eastern Perth suburb of Mount Lawley which falls within its borders....
at different times.
Biography
Oldfield was born in MaylandsMaylands, Western Australia
Maylands is a suburb located approximately northeast of Perth centred on the Midland railway line and located on the northern bank of the Swan River....
, an inner 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....
suburb, to Ernest Henry Oldfield, a commercial traveller, and Lena Eva (née Peate). He attended Victoria Park Primary School and Perth Boys' School, and obtained work as a truck driver by 1940. On 20 May 1940, with Australia actively involved in the Second World War, Oldfield enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force
Australian Imperial Force
The Australian Imperial Force was the name given to all-volunteer Australian Army forces dispatched to fight overseas during World War I and World War II.* First Australian Imperial Force * Second Australian Imperial Force...
and served in Egypt, Syria and New Guinea with the HQ Co. 2/16th Battalion. On 24 November 1944, he married Margaret Smith at St George's Cathedral, Perth, with whom he had two sons. After attaining the rank of Private, he was discharged in 1945.
After his war service, he worked as a commercial traveller with Wigmores. In April 1949, he was elected to the Bayswater Road Board as a councillor, in which role he served for six years. He had also joined 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...
and, following the death on 21 January 1951 of the long-serving Independent Liberal member for Maylands
Electoral district of Maylands
Maylands is a Legislative Assembly electorate in the state of Western Australia. Maylands is named for the inner northeastern Perth suburb of Maylands which falls within its borders....
, he contested and won the resulting by-election on 17 February 1951 for the party. He served two terms in that capacity.
Due to a boundary redistribution at the 1956 election, Maylands had become a safe seat for the Labor Party, so Oldfield instead ran for the neighbouring seat of Mount Lawley
Electoral district of Mount Lawley
Mount Lawley is an electorate in the state of Western Australia. Mount Lawley is named for the inner north-eastern Perth suburb of Mount Lawley which falls within its borders....
. However, former Liberal minister Arthur Abbott was the Liberal Party's official candidate, and in a two-horse race, Oldfield won with 67.8% of the votes. He was subsequently refused admission to the Parliamentary Party, a move which was not uncontroversial as it was seen as rejecting "unendorsed candidates who had clearly won the confidence of electors". He sat in Parliament as an "Independent Liberal", and was appointed by the Labor government to a Select Committee inquiring into welfare conditions in the Laverton-Warburton Range area.
At the 1959 election
Western Australian state election, 1959
Elections were held in the state of Western Australia on 21 March 1959 to elect all 50 members to the Legislative Assembly. The result was a hung parliament—the two-term Labor government, led by Premier Bert Hawke, was defeated with an average swing against it of about 7 per cent, but the...
, Labor narrowly lost to the Liberal-Country coalition led by David Brand
David Brand
Sir David Brand KCMG was the 19th and longest serving Premier of Western Australia and a Member of the Legislative Assembly from 1945 to 1975.-Early life:...
. Oldfield and another Independent Liberal, Bill Grayden
Bill Grayden
William Leonard "Bill" Grayden AM was an Australian politician. Born in Perth, Western Australia, he was educated at state schools and then at Perth Technical College, becoming a mechanical engineer. He served in the military from 1940-1946...
, held the balance of power. In January 1960, Oldfield had joined the Labor Party and was promised unopposed preselection for the 1962 election by opposition leader Albert Hawke
Albert Hawke
Albert Redvers George Hawke was the 18th Premier of Western Australia.Hawke was born to James Renfrey Hawke and Eliza Ann Blinman Pascoe, both of Cornish descent, in Kapunda, South Australia...
. This meant that the Liberal-Country government could not pass electoral legislation which required a majority on the floor, and the scheduled redistribution took place under the old Act. This returned Oldfield to his original Maylands seat.
He continued to serve as a Labor member of parliament until 1965, when he was narrowly defeated by the Liberals' Robert Marshall. He pursued other forms of employment, including self-employment and investing in various companies. He served as a councillor in the WA Industrial Institute and the Council for the Blind, and was president of the Maylands RSL.
He died at home in Noranda
Noranda, Western Australia
Noranda is a suburb of Perth, Western Australia, located mainly within the City of Bayswater and the area north of Widgee Road in the City of Swan. The suburb is a middle- to upper-middle class area with some affluent pockets...
, a north-eastern Perth suburb, and was cremated at Karrakatta Cemetery
Karrakatta Cemetery
Karrakatta Cemetery is a metropolitan cemetery in the suburb of Karrakatta in Perth, Western Australia. Karrakatta Cemetery first opened for burials in 1899, with Robert Creighton. Currently managed by the Metropolitan Cemeteries Board, the cemetery attracts more than one million visitors each...
.