John Wheeldon
Encyclopedia
John Murray Wheeldon was an Australian federal politician and briefly a minister. He is mainly notable for his views on Australian foreign policy.
Wheeldon was born in Subiaco
, Western Australia and educated at Perth Modern School
and the University of Western Australia
. He graduated in arts and law and then worked as a solicitor. He was later President of the Western Australian Young Liberals
, but resigned in protest at Robert Menzies
' attempt to ban the Communist Party of Australia
, declaring that it "seemed rather fatuous to call itself the Liberal Party and then introduce a bill like that."
, Wheeldon was elected to the Australian Senate
, representing the Australian Labor Party
. His term commenced on 1 July 1965. He strongly opposed the Vietnam War
and (though no supporter of Communism) visited North Vietnam
at the invitation of the North Vietnam peace committee, while Australia was involved in fighting in South Vietnam
. In 1967, he spoke against the war in the United States with Jim Cairns
.According to Senator John Faulkner
, Wheeldon "... showed real passion for the causes he believed in: his opposition to the Vietnam War, his support for the independence of East Timor
, his abhorrence of apartheid and his deep concern about Soviet imperialism."
Wheeldon was appointed Minister for Repatriation and Compensation
in June 1974 in Gough Whitlam
's third ministry
and was responsible for implementing Whitlam's ambitious plan to establish a national compensation scheme. In addition, he was appointed Minister for Social Security
in June 1975 when Bill Hayden
was appointed Treasurer
. Both appointments were terminated by the dismissal of the Whitlam government in November 1975. Wheeldon remained a senator until 30 June 1981, having chosen not to contest the 1980 election
.
In 1968, Wheeldon was suspected by Charles Spry
, the Director-General of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation
(ASIO) of having being compromised by contact Wheeldon was alleged to have had with a female member of the staff of the French embassy in Canberra, who had what appeared to be a personal relationship with Soviet diplomatic staff who were suspected of being intelligence agents. In a declassified top secret "Note to Prime Minister" in 1968 (apparently prepared for the benefit of Prime Minister John Gorton
, Spry characterised Wheeldon's actions as "consistent with those of at least a collaborator with the RIS [Russian Intelligence Service]. He may be a recruited agent." Wheeldon was never questioned about Spry's suspicions, and the young woman who was the sole source of the accusations against him left the country and admitted herself to the Horton Hospital at Surrey, a psychiatric institution formerly known as the London County Asylum.
A declassified "top secret" ASIO Minute from 1974 indicates that ASIO officers had "considerable doubts" at the time about the truthfulness of the young woman who claimed to be the connection between Wheeldon and the suspected Soviet agents, and that these doubts were not reflected in the file specifying the young woman's accusations against Wheeldon. The note suggests that the file Spry used to brief Prime Minister's Holt and Gorton did not reflect these doubts, either.
According to Ian Hancock's biography of Prime Minister John Gorton
, in 1968 Spry sought to block John Wheeldon's fiancée, Judith Werner (now Judith Wheeldon) from entering Australia on the grounds that her father was a member of the Communist Party, USA, but "Gorton would have none of it. He brusquely dismissed both Spry and his file... he had no time for public servants who behaved as a law unto themselves".
In 1968, Wheeldon was one of the leading critics in the Australian parliament of the Soviet Union's invasion of Czechoslovakia.
In 1978, Wheeldon was one of the primary authors of "Human Rights in the Soviet Union", a report of the Australian parliament's Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence. The report was harshly critical of the Soviet Union.
In 1980, Wheeldon served as a parliamentary adviser to Australia's permanent delegation to the United Nations General Assembly in New York City.
, who offered him a position as Associate Editor of The Australian
newspaper.
Wheeldon was chief editorial writer for The Australian
newspaper from 1981 to 1995. In addition, he sometimes wrote articles for the monthly magazine Quadrant
and other periodicals.
He died at his house in Sydney, survived by his wife, Judith (headmistress of Abbotsleigh School for Girls
, 1996–2005) and their son, and a daughter and a son from his first marriage.
Wheeldon was born in Subiaco
Subiaco, Western Australia
Subiaco is an inner western suburb of Perth, Western Australia, situated to the north west of Kings Park. Its Local Government Area is the City of Subiaco.-History:Prior to European settlement the area was home to the Noongar Indigenous people....
, Western Australia and educated at Perth Modern School
Perth Modern School
Perth Modern School is an academically-selective co-educational public high school located in Subiaco, an inner city suburb of Perth, Western Australia.The school, established in 1911, now caters for students with high academic ability....
and the University of Western Australia
University of Western Australia
The University of Western Australia was established by an Act of the Western Australian Parliament in February 1911, and began teaching students for the first time in 1913. It is the oldest university in the state of Western Australia and the only university in the state to be a member of the...
. He graduated in arts and law and then worked as a solicitor. He was later President of the Western Australian Young Liberals
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...
, but resigned in protest at Robert Menzies
Robert Menzies
Sir Robert Gordon Menzies, , Australian politician, was the 12th and longest-serving Prime Minister of Australia....
' attempt to ban the Communist Party of Australia
Communist Party of Australia
The Communist Party of Australia was founded in 1920 and dissolved in 1991; it was succeeded by the Socialist Party of Australia, which then renamed itself, becoming the current Communist Party of Australia. The CPA achieved its greatest political strength in the 1940s and faced an attempted...
, declaring that it "seemed rather fatuous to call itself the Liberal Party and then introduce a bill like that."
Political career
At the 1964 half-Senate electionAustralian Senate election, 1964
Half-senate elections were held in Australia on 5 December 1964.Independent: Reg Turnbull -See also:*Candidates of the Australian Senate election, 1964*Members of the Australian Senate, 1965–1968-References:...
, Wheeldon was elected to 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,...
, representing the 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...
. His term commenced on 1 July 1965. He strongly opposed the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
and (though no supporter of Communism) visited North Vietnam
North Vietnam
The Democratic Republic of Vietnam , was a communist state that ruled the northern half of Vietnam from 1954 until 1976 following the Geneva Conference and laid claim to all of Vietnam from 1945 to 1954 during the First Indochina War, during which they controlled pockets of territory throughout...
at the invitation of the North Vietnam peace committee, while Australia was involved in fighting in South Vietnam
South Vietnam
South Vietnam was a state which governed southern Vietnam until 1975. It received international recognition in 1950 as the "State of Vietnam" and later as the "Republic of Vietnam" . Its capital was Saigon...
. In 1967, he spoke against the war in the United States with Jim Cairns
Jim Cairns
James Ford "J. F." Cairns , Australian politician, was prominent in the Labor movement through the 1960s and 1970s, and was briefly Deputy Prime Minister in the Whitlam government...
.According to Senator John Faulkner
John Faulkner
John Philip Faulkner is an Australian politician. He has been a Labor member of the Australian Senate since 1989, representing the state of New South Wales. Following a period serving on various Senate Committees and as Deputy Whip, he was a Minister in the Keating Labor government 1993-96...
, Wheeldon "... showed real passion for the causes he believed in: his opposition to the Vietnam War, his support for the independence 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...
, his abhorrence of apartheid and his deep concern about Soviet imperialism."
Wheeldon was appointed Minister for Repatriation and Compensation
Minister for Veterans' Affairs (Australia)
The Australian Minister for Veterans' Affairs oversees income support, compensation, care and commemoration programs for more than 400,000 veterans and their widows, widowers and dependants....
in June 1974 in Gough 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...
's third ministry
Third Whitlam Ministry
The Third Whitlam Ministry was the fiftieth Australian Commonwealth ministry, and ran from 12 June 1974 to 11 November 1975. It was dismissed in the 1975 Australian constitutional crisis.Australian Labor Party...
and was responsible for implementing Whitlam's ambitious plan to establish a national compensation scheme. In addition, he was appointed Minister for Social Security
Minister for Human Services (Australia)
The position of Minister for Human Services within Australian politics is currently held by the Hon. Tanya Plibersek MP. The Minister is responsible for a number of welfare agencies and administers her portfolio through the Department of Human Services and its component bodies:* Child Support...
in June 1975 when Bill Hayden
Bill Hayden
William George "Bill" Hayden AC was the 21st Governor-General of Australia. Prior to this, he represented the Australian Labor Party in parliament; he was a minister in the government of Gough Whitlam, and later became Leader of the Opposition, narrowly losing the 1980 federal election to the...
was appointed Treasurer
Treasurer of Australia
The Treasurer of Australia is the minister in the Government of Australia responsible for government expenditure and revenue raising. He is the head of the Department of the Treasury. The Treasurer plays a key role in the economic policy of the government...
. Both appointments were terminated by the dismissal of the Whitlam government in November 1975. Wheeldon remained a senator until 30 June 1981, having chosen not to contest the 1980 election
Australian federal election, 1980
Federal elections were held in Australia on 18 October 1980. All 125 seats in the House of Representatives, and 34 of the 64 seats in the Senate, were up for election. The incumbent Liberal Party of Australia led by Malcolm Fraser with coalition partner the National Country Party led by Doug...
.
In 1968, Wheeldon was suspected by Charles Spry
Charles Spry
Brigadier Sir Charles Chambers Fowell Spry, CBE, DSO was an Australian soldier, who from 1950 to 1970 was the second Director-General of Security, the head of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation .-Early life:...
, the Director-General of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation
Australian Security Intelligence Organisation
The Australian Security Intelligence Organisation is Australia's national security service, which is responsible for the protection of the country and its citizens from espionage, sabotage, acts of foreign interference, politically-motivated violence, attacks on the Australian defence system, and...
(ASIO) of having being compromised by contact Wheeldon was alleged to have had with a female member of the staff of the French embassy in Canberra, who had what appeared to be a personal relationship with Soviet diplomatic staff who were suspected of being intelligence agents. In a declassified top secret "Note to Prime Minister" in 1968 (apparently prepared for the benefit of Prime Minister John Gorton
John Gorton
Sir John Grey Gorton, GCMG, AC, CH , Australian politician, was the 19th Prime Minister of Australia.-Early life:...
, Spry characterised Wheeldon's actions as "consistent with those of at least a collaborator with the RIS [Russian Intelligence Service]. He may be a recruited agent." Wheeldon was never questioned about Spry's suspicions, and the young woman who was the sole source of the accusations against him left the country and admitted herself to the Horton Hospital at Surrey, a psychiatric institution formerly known as the London County Asylum.
A declassified "top secret" ASIO Minute from 1974 indicates that ASIO officers had "considerable doubts" at the time about the truthfulness of the young woman who claimed to be the connection between Wheeldon and the suspected Soviet agents, and that these doubts were not reflected in the file specifying the young woman's accusations against Wheeldon. The note suggests that the file Spry used to brief Prime Minister's Holt and Gorton did not reflect these doubts, either.
According to Ian Hancock's biography of Prime Minister John Gorton
John Gorton
Sir John Grey Gorton, GCMG, AC, CH , Australian politician, was the 19th Prime Minister of Australia.-Early life:...
, in 1968 Spry sought to block John Wheeldon's fiancée, Judith Werner (now Judith Wheeldon) from entering Australia on the grounds that her father was a member of the Communist Party, USA, but "Gorton would have none of it. He brusquely dismissed both Spry and his file... he had no time for public servants who behaved as a law unto themselves".
In 1968, Wheeldon was one of the leading critics in the Australian parliament of the Soviet Union's invasion of Czechoslovakia.
In 1978, Wheeldon was one of the primary authors of "Human Rights in the Soviet Union", a report of the Australian parliament's Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence. The report was harshly critical of the Soviet Union.
In 1980, Wheeldon served as a parliamentary adviser to Australia's permanent delegation to the United Nations General Assembly in New York City.
After politics
In 1980, while serving as part of Australia's delegation to the United Nations General Assembly, Wheeldon rekindled an old friendship with Rupert MurdochRupert Murdoch
Keith Rupert Murdoch, AC, KSG is an Australian-American business magnate. He is the founder and Chairman and CEO of , the world's second-largest media conglomerate....
, who offered him a position as Associate Editor of The Australian
The Australian
The Australian is a broadsheet newspaper published in Australia from Monday to Saturday each week since 14 July 1964. The editor in chief is Chris Mitchell, the editor is Clive Mathieson and the 'editor-at-large' is Paul Kelly....
newspaper.
Wheeldon was chief editorial writer for The Australian
The Australian
The Australian is a broadsheet newspaper published in Australia from Monday to Saturday each week since 14 July 1964. The editor in chief is Chris Mitchell, the editor is Clive Mathieson and the 'editor-at-large' is Paul Kelly....
newspaper from 1981 to 1995. In addition, he sometimes wrote articles for the monthly magazine Quadrant
Quadrant (magazine)
Quadrant is an Australian literary and cultural journal. The magazine takes a conservative position on political and social issues, describing itself as sceptical of 'unthinking Leftism, or political correctness, and its "smelly little orthodoxies"'. Quadrant reviews literature, as well as...
and other periodicals.
He died at his house in Sydney, survived by his wife, Judith (headmistress of Abbotsleigh School for Girls
Abbotsleigh
Abbotsleigh School for Girls is an independent, Anglican, day and boarding school for girls, located in Wahroonga, on the Upper North Shore of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia....
, 1996–2005) and their son, and a daughter and a son from his first marriage.