Kim Edward Beazley
Encyclopedia
Kim Edward Beazley, AO
(30 September 1917 – 12 October 2007), known as Kim Beazley during his career, Australian politician, was Minister for Education in the government of Gough Whitlam
and a Labor
member of the Australian House of Representatives
for 32 years, from 1945 to 1977.
Beazley, the youngest of seven children, was born in Northam and grew up in Fremantle. He was the son of Alfred Beazley, a storeman and packer, and his wife Mary Wright.
He showed early scholastic promise, winning a place at the academically selective Perth Modern School
(1933-1935), where he topped the state in History and English. He studied at Claremont Teachers College
, and worked as a teacher at Arthur River, East Fremantle, Midland Junction and Claremont. He studied politics at the University of Western Australia
(UWA), and tutored at Claremont Teachers College
and at UWA. He was later to gain an MA from the Australian National University
.
He was active in the Labor Party, and the elegance of his writings and the eloquence of his speeches marked him out as a rising star. He served as vice president of the State School Teachers' Union and as a member of the State Executive of the Party.
He married Betty Judge
, a fellow teacher, union official and an athlete (she was Australian women's 880 yards champion), on 7 February 1948, at Claremont. They had two sons, including Rhodes Scholar and Deputy Prime Minister Kim Christian Beazley
, and one daughter.
On the death in office of Prime Minister John Curtin in 1945, Beazley, at the age of 27 was preselected for, and won, Curtin’s Federal Parliament seat of Fremantle
. He was the youngest member of the federal parliament when elected, and was known as "the student prince". He became the Father of the House in 1975, and held his seat until he retired in 1977.
A committed Christian (he was brought up and baptised in the Church of Christ
), and member of Moral Rearmament, Beazley was prominent on the right-wing of the Labor Party during the ideological battles of the 1950s and 1960s. He claimed a central role in the events leading to the Labor Party's fateful 1954 split
and harboured lifelong regret that he failed to help avert the split when he felt it had been in his power to do so. During the leadership of Arthur Calwell
(from 1960 to 1967) he was considered a possible future leader of the party, but his right-wing views, particularly his support for the U.S. Alliance
, cost him support, and Gough Whitlam
emerged as Calwell's successor.
Beazley was the education minister in the Whitlam Government from 1972 to 1975. He carried out important reforms in the education field, such as abolishing university fees and introducing needs-based funding for all schools through the Schools Commission.
After the defeat of the Whitlam Government in 1975, Beazley was elected to the Labor front bench, but resigned when it was revealed that Gough Whitlam and Bill Hartley, with the ALP national secretary, David Combe
, had been seeking money from the Iraq
i Ba'ath Party to pay for the party's election campaign. He retired from politics in 1977. At the time of his death he was the last surviving member from the period of the Chifley
Labor Government (1945–49) and the earliest surviving member of the Commonwealth Parliament. He died in Perth on 12 October 2007, and was accorded a state funeral
on 20 October. His memoirs were published posthumously in February 2009. with a foreword by his son Kim Christian Beazley
who himself had a distinguished career as a Labor politician and party leader.
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"...
(30 September 1917 – 12 October 2007), known as Kim Beazley during his career, Australian politician, was Minister for Education in the government of 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...
and a 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...
member of 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....
for 32 years, from 1945 to 1977.
Beazley, the youngest of seven children, was born in Northam and grew up in Fremantle. He was the son of Alfred Beazley, a storeman and packer, and his wife Mary Wright.
He showed early scholastic promise, winning a place at the academically selective 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....
(1933-1935), where he topped the state in History and English. He studied at Claremont Teachers College
Claremont Teachers College
Claremont Teachers College was Western Australia’s first post-secondary teaching institution. It opened in 1902 and closed in 1981, when it became a College of Advanced Education and later a campus of Edith Cowan University. The building is on land between Goldsworthy, Princess and Bay Roads in the...
, and worked as a teacher at Arthur River, East Fremantle, Midland Junction and Claremont. He studied politics at 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...
(UWA), and tutored at Claremont Teachers College
Claremont Teachers College
Claremont Teachers College was Western Australia’s first post-secondary teaching institution. It opened in 1902 and closed in 1981, when it became a College of Advanced Education and later a campus of Edith Cowan University. The building is on land between Goldsworthy, Princess and Bay Roads in the...
and at UWA. He was later to gain an MA from the Australian National University
Australian National University
The Australian National University is a teaching and research university located in the Australian capital, Canberra.As of 2009, the ANU employs 3,945 administrative staff who teach approximately 10,000 undergraduates, and 7,500 postgraduate students...
.
He was active in the Labor Party, and the elegance of his writings and the eloquence of his speeches marked him out as a rising star. He served as vice president of the State School Teachers' Union and as a member of the State Executive of the Party.
He married Betty Judge
Betty Judge
Betty Judge-Beazley is a former Australian athletics champion at 880 yards. She coached the Olympic champion Shirley Strickland and is the mother of Kim Beazley, a former deputy Prime Minister of Australia.-Athletics career:...
, a fellow teacher, union official and an athlete (she was Australian women's 880 yards champion), on 7 February 1948, at Claremont. They had two sons, including Rhodes Scholar and Deputy Prime Minister Kim Christian 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....
, and one daughter.
On the death in office of Prime Minister John Curtin in 1945, Beazley, at the age of 27 was preselected for, and won, Curtin’s Federal Parliament seat of Fremantle
Division of Fremantle
The Division of Fremantle is an Australian Electoral Division in Western Australia.The division was created at Federation in 1900 and was one of the original 75 divisions contested at the first federal election...
. He was the youngest member of the federal parliament when elected, and was known as "the student prince". He became the Father of the House in 1975, and held his seat until he retired in 1977.
A committed Christian (he was brought up and baptised in the Church of Christ
Churches of Christ in Australia
The Churches of Christ in Australia is a Christian movement in Australia. It is part of the Restoration Movement with historical influences from the United States of America and the United Kingdom....
), and member of Moral Rearmament, Beazley was prominent on the right-wing of the Labor Party during the ideological battles of the 1950s and 1960s. He claimed a central role in the events leading to the Labor Party's fateful 1954 split
Democratic Labor Party (historical)
The Democratic Labor Party was an Australian political party that existed from 1955 until 1978.-History:The DLP was formed as a result of a split in the Australian Labor Party that began in 1954. The split was between the party's national leadership, under the then party leader Dr H.V...
and harboured lifelong regret that he failed to help avert the split when he felt it had been in his power to do so. During the leadership of Arthur Calwell
Arthur Calwell
Arthur Augustus Calwell Australian politician, was a member of the Australian House of Representatives for 32 years from 1940 to 1972, Immigration Minister in the government of Ben Chifley from 1945 to 1949 and Leader of the Australian Labor Party from 1960 to 1967.-Early life:Calwell was born in...
(from 1960 to 1967) he was considered a possible future leader of the party, but his right-wing views, particularly his support for the U.S. Alliance
ANZUS
The Australia, New Zealand, United States Security Treaty is the military alliance which binds Australia and New Zealand and, separately, Australia and the United States to cooperate on defence matters in the Pacific Ocean area, though today the treaty is understood to relate to attacks...
, cost him support, and 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...
emerged as Calwell's successor.
Beazley was the education minister in the Whitlam Government from 1972 to 1975. He carried out important reforms in the education field, such as abolishing university fees and introducing needs-based funding for all schools through the Schools Commission.
After the defeat of the Whitlam Government in 1975, Beazley was elected to the Labor front bench, but resigned when it was revealed that Gough Whitlam and Bill Hartley, with the ALP national secretary, David Combe
David Combe
David Combe was National Secretary of the Australian Labor Party, a political consultant and lobbyist, an Australian Trade Commissioner, a Senior Vice President International of Southcorp Wines, and a consultant to the Australian Wine Industry.-Early life:Harvey David Mathew Combe was born in 1943...
, had been seeking money from the Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
i Ba'ath Party to pay for the party's election campaign. He retired from politics in 1977. At the time of his death he was the last surviving member from the period of the Chifley
Ben Chifley
Joseph Benedict Chifley , Australian politician, was the 16th Prime Minister of Australia. He took over the Australian Labor Party leadership and Prime Ministership after the death of John Curtin in 1945, and went on to retain government at the 1946 election, before being defeated at the 1949...
Labor Government (1945–49) and the earliest surviving member of the Commonwealth Parliament. He died in Perth on 12 October 2007, and was accorded a state funeral
State funeral
A state funeral is a public funeral ceremony, observing the strict rules of protocol, held to honor heads of state or other important people of national significance. State funerals usually include much pomp and ceremony as well as religious overtones and distinctive elements of military tradition...
on 20 October. His memoirs were published posthumously in February 2009. with a foreword by his son Kim Christian 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....
who himself had a distinguished career as a Labor politician and party leader.