Lindsay Thompson
Encyclopedia
Lindsay Hamilton Simpson Thompson AO
, CMG
(15 October 1923 – 16 July 2008), Australia
n Liberal Party
politician, was the 40th Premier of Victoria from June 1981 to April 1982. He was also notable for his actions in the Faraday School kidnapping
, and was the longest serving minister and Deputy Premier
in Victorian parliamentary history.
, a town north-east of Melbourne
. His parents were both schoolteachers. His father died when he was two, and he was raised by his mother, Ethel Thompson in difficult circumstances.
He won a scholarship to Caulfield Grammar School
and eventually graduated as both school captain and the dux of school. The school's new gymnasium was opened as the Lindsay Thompson Centre in 1997.
After service as a signalman
in the Australian Army
during World War II
, he graduated from the University of Melbourne
with degrees in Arts (Honours) and Education, and became a school teacher, teaching at Malvern Central Primary School and later at Melbourne High School
.
In 1950 Thompson married Joan Poynder, and they had three children. Thompson's son Murray
has been a member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly since 1992.
in the Monash and Higginbotham Provinces as a Liberal, where he served until 1970, when he transferred to the Legislative Assembly
as MP for Malvern
.
In 1958 Thompson was appointed Assistant Chief Secretary in the government of Henry Bolte
, and held office continuously until 1982, making him the longest-serving minister in Victoria's history. Of all federal and state ministers in Australian history, only the South Australian Sir Thomas Playford IV
and Queensland's Joh Bjelke-Petersen
held ministerial office continuously for longer than Thompson. Lindsay Thompson served as Minister for Housing
from 1961–1967, during which time many of Melbourne's controversial public housing
towers were built. In 1967 he was appointed Minister for Education, and held this post until 1979, a record term. He presided over the major expansion of state education in Victoria during this period. In 1971 he became Deputy Premier.
in the country town of Faraday by a man demanding a $1 million ransom. Thompson went to the site and was ready to personally deliver the ransom, but the teacher and children escaped from the van they were locked in before this was necessary. Thompson received a bravery award for his actions during the kidnapping.
, Thompson was Chief Secretary, then Treasurer and Minister for Police and Emergency Services. On 5 June 1981, Hamer resigned and Thompson won a Liberal Party ballot to succeed him as Premier. The Liberals had been in power for 27 years and the new Labor
leader, John Cain
, was mounting a strong challenge to the government. At the April 1982 election, the Liberals were heavily defeated and Thompson resigned as Liberal leader and from Parliament on 5 November.
on 14 June 1975 for serving as a minister. He was made an Officer of the Order of Australia
on Australia Day
in 1990 "for service to government and politics and to the Victorian Parliament". He also received a Centenary Medal
in 2001.
Throughout life, Thompson enjoyed attending games at the Melbourne Cricket Ground to watch his beloved Richmond Football Club play. He was a Number One ticket holder of the club and was awarded life membership in 1993. Thompson had a long association with the Melbourne Cricket Ground and was a member of the MCG trust for 32 years from 1967 to 1999, taking on the role of chairman between 1987 and 1998. Thompson laid the first stone to mark the construction of the Great Southern Stand at the ground.
At the funeral among other kind words, former Prime Minister John Howard said "I can honestly say I never heard anyone say a nasty thing about Lindsay Thompson, and I can tell you that has to be a first in Australian politics."
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"...
, CMG
Order of St Michael and St George
The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is an order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent, later George IV of the United Kingdom, while he was acting as Prince Regent for his father, George III....
(15 October 1923 – 16 July 2008), 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 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...
politician, was the 40th Premier of Victoria from June 1981 to April 1982. He was also notable for his actions in the Faraday School kidnapping
Faraday School kidnapping
The Faraday School kidnapping occurred on 6 October 1972 at a one-teacher school in the village of Faraday in Victoria, Australia.- Incident :...
, and was the longest serving minister and Deputy Premier
Deputy Premier of Victoria
The Deputy Premier of Victoria is the second-most senior officer in the Government of Victoria. The Deputy Premiership has been a ministerial portfolio since , and the Deputy Premier is appointed by the Governor on the advice of the Premier....
in Victorian parliamentary history.
Early life and family
Thompson was born in WarburtonWarburton, Victoria
Warburton is a town in Victoria, Australia, 72 km east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the Shire of Yarra Ranges. At the 2006 Census, Warburton had a population of 2288....
, a town north-east of 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...
. His parents were both schoolteachers. His father died when he was two, and he was raised by his mother, Ethel Thompson in difficult circumstances.
He won a scholarship to Caulfield Grammar School
Caulfield Grammar School
Caulfield Grammar School is an independent, co-educational, Anglican, day and boarding school, located in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Founded in 1881 as a boys' school, Caulfield began admitting girls exactly one hundred years later...
and eventually graduated as both school captain and the dux of school. The school's new gymnasium was opened as the Lindsay Thompson Centre in 1997.
After service as a signalman
Signalman (rank)
Signalman was a U.S. Navy rating for sailors that specialized in visual communication. See Signaller for more about the roles of Signalmen.-U.S. Navy:A signal lamp is a visual signaling device for optical communication...
in the Australian Army
Australian Army
The Australian Army is Australia's military land force. It is part of the Australian Defence Force along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force. While the Chief of Defence commands the Australian Defence Force , the Army is commanded by the Chief of Army...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, he graduated from the University of Melbourne
University of Melbourne
The University of Melbourne is a public university located in Melbourne, Victoria. Founded in 1853, it is the second oldest university in Australia and the oldest in Victoria...
with degrees in Arts (Honours) and Education, and became a school teacher, teaching at Malvern Central Primary School and later at Melbourne High School
Melbourne High School
Melbourne High School is a selective entry state school for boys in years 9 to 12 located in the Melbourne suburb of South Yarra. Being a selective school, it is known mainly for its strong academic reputation...
.
In 1950 Thompson married Joan Poynder, and they had three children. Thompson's son Murray
Murray Thompson
Murray Thompson is currently a member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly. He has served the Sandringham electorate since 1992. The electorate includes the suburbs of Beaumaris, Black Rock, Cheltenham , Hampton , Highett , Mentone and Sandringham...
has been a member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly since 1992.
Political career
In 1955 he was elected to the Victorian Legislative CouncilVictorian Legislative Council
The Victorian Legislative Council, is the upper of the two houses of the Parliament of Victoria, Australia; the lower house being the Legislative Assembly. Both houses sit in Parliament House in Spring Street, Melbourne. The Legislative Council serves as a house of review, in a similar fashion to...
in the Monash and Higginbotham Provinces as a Liberal, where he served until 1970, when he transferred to the Legislative Assembly
Victorian Legislative Assembly
The Victorian Legislative Assembly is the lower house of the Parliament of Victoria in Australia. Together with the Victorian Legislative Council, the upper house, it sits in Parliament House in the state capital, Melbourne.-History:...
as MP for Malvern
Electoral district of Malvern
-External links:*...
.
In 1958 Thompson was appointed Assistant Chief Secretary in the government of Henry Bolte
Henry Bolte
Sir Henry Edward Bolte GCMG was an Australian politician. He was the 38th and longest serving Premier of Victoria.- Early years :...
, and held office continuously until 1982, making him the longest-serving minister in Victoria's history. Of all federal and state ministers in Australian history, only the South Australian Sir Thomas Playford IV
Thomas Playford IV
Sir Thomas Playford, GCMG was a South Australian politician. He served continuously as Premier of South Australia from 5 November 1938 to 10 March 1965, the longest term of any elected government leader in the history of Australia. His tenure as premier was marked by a period of population and...
and Queensland's Joh Bjelke-Petersen
Joh Bjelke-Petersen
Sir Johannes "Joh" Bjelke-Petersen, KCMG , was an Australian politician. He was the longest-serving and longest-lived Premier of Queensland, holding office from 1968 to 1987, a period that saw considerable economic development in the state...
held ministerial office continuously for longer than Thompson. Lindsay Thompson served as Minister for Housing
Victorian Minister for Housing
In the Victorian political system, the State Minister for Housing is a State Government cabinet position responsible for Housing. The Minister for Housing is responsible for the Office of Housing ; and is one of four state ministers responsible for the Department of Human Services .The Housing...
from 1961–1967, during which time many of Melbourne's controversial public housing
Public housing
Public housing is a form of housing tenure in which the property is owned by a government authority, which may be central or local. Social housing is an umbrella term referring to rental housing which may be owned and managed by the state, by non-profit organizations, or by a combination of the...
towers were built. In 1967 he was appointed Minister for Education, and held this post until 1979, a record term. He presided over the major expansion of state education in Victoria during this period. In 1971 he became Deputy Premier.
Faraday hero
In 1972, a teacher and six school children were kidnapped at a schoolFaraday School kidnapping
The Faraday School kidnapping occurred on 6 October 1972 at a one-teacher school in the village of Faraday in Victoria, Australia.- Incident :...
in the country town of Faraday by a man demanding a $1 million ransom. Thompson went to the site and was ready to personally deliver the ransom, but the teacher and children escaped from the van they were locked in before this was necessary. Thompson received a bravery award for his actions during the kidnapping.
Premier of Victoria
During the premiership of Rupert HamerRupert 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:...
, Thompson was Chief Secretary, then Treasurer and Minister for Police and Emergency Services. On 5 June 1981, Hamer resigned and Thompson won a Liberal Party ballot to succeed him as Premier. The Liberals had been in power for 27 years and the new 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...
leader, John Cain
John Cain II
John Cain , Australian Labor Party politician, was the 41st Premier of Victoria, holding office from 1982 to 1990.-Biography:...
, was mounting a strong challenge to the government. At the April 1982 election, the Liberals were heavily defeated and Thompson resigned as Liberal leader and from Parliament on 5 November.
Awards
Thompson was made a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St GeorgeOrder of St Michael and St George
The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is an order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent, later George IV of the United Kingdom, while he was acting as Prince Regent for his father, George III....
on 14 June 1975 for serving as a minister. He was made an Officer of the Order of 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"...
on Australia Day
Australia Day
Australia Day is the official national day of Australia...
in 1990 "for service to government and politics and to the Victorian Parliament". He also received a Centenary Medal
Centenary Medal
The Centenary Medal is an award created by the Australian Government in 2001. It was established to commemorate the Centenary of Federation of Australia and to honour people who have made a contribution to Australian society or government...
in 2001.
Throughout life, Thompson enjoyed attending games at the Melbourne Cricket Ground to watch his beloved Richmond Football Club play. He was a Number One ticket holder of the club and was awarded life membership in 1993. Thompson had a long association with the Melbourne Cricket Ground and was a member of the MCG trust for 32 years from 1967 to 1999, taking on the role of chairman between 1987 and 1998. Thompson laid the first stone to mark the construction of the Great Southern Stand at the ground.
Following his death
Following his passing many people have commented on what an amazing, kind, but humble man he was.At the funeral among other kind words, former Prime Minister John Howard said "I can honestly say I never heard anyone say a nasty thing about Lindsay Thompson, and I can tell you that has to be a first in Australian politics."