Peter Coleman
Encyclopedia
William Peter Coleman (born 15 December 1928) is an Australian writer/journalist, former politician and Minister of the Crown in the cabinets of Tom Lewis
and Sir Eric Willis
. Following Willis' resignation as leader he was made Leader of the New South Wales Opposition
. He was a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
for 10 years from 24 February 1968 until he lost his seat and his position as leader at the 1978 election and then for 6 years in the Australian House of Representatives
for Wentworth
for the Liberal Party of Australia
.
, the son of Stanley Charles Coleman, an advertising agent, and Norma Victoria Tiernan. Moving to Sydney, New South Wales, Coleman was educated at the selective North Sydney Boys High School
. He graduated from the University of Sydney
with a Bachelor of Arts
(BA) in 1950 and then travelled to the United Kingdom
to study at the London School of Economics
, from which he graduated with an Master of Science
degree specialising in Economics in 1952. On 5 April 1952 he married the writer, Verna Scott. Together they had two daughters, Tanya, who became a lawyer and later wife of Deputy Liberal Leader Peter Costello
, Ursula
, who became a children's book author, and a son, William, who is an economist.
Teaching for a year in the Sudan
, Coleman returned to Australia with his family to undertake a career as a journalist. Coleman became associate editor of The Observer between 1958 and 1960, a fortnightly magazine founded in 1958, which was absorbed by The Bulletin
in 1961. He consequently became the Editor of The Bulletin between 1964 and 1967 and later as editor of Quadrant
magazine for twenty years between 1967 and 1990.
member for Fuller
, a marginal seat taking in North Ryde
, Gladesville
and Hunter's Hill
, in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
at the February 1968 election
, defeating the Labor Member of the abolished seat of Ryde, Frank Downing
, after preferences on 52%. Originally serving on the backbench, Coleman gained experience through his appointment as a member of the Australian Council for the Arts from 1968 to 1973, a councillor of the National Institute of Dramatic Art
from 1970 to 1985, and as Chairman of the Interim Council of the National Film and Television School
from 1971 to 1973. In 1974, Coleman became the Chairman of the Select Committee into Appointment of Judges to the High Court, which examined different judicial appointment methods for the state prior to the 1977 Federal Referendum
. Coleman was then further promoted in June 1975 as the Parliamentary Secretary to the Premier, Tom Lewis
, in which capacity he served only five months until his promotion to Cabinet.
He was made a Minister of the Crown in October 1975 as the Assistant Treasurer
and Minister for Revenue. When Lewis was deposed by several parliamentary backbenchers and the Minister for Education, Sir Eric Willis
, became Premier, Coleman was appointed to the revived office of Chief Secretary from January 1976. He served in Cabinet until the defeat of the Willis government in the May 1976 election
, at which he retained his seat on a slightly increased margin of 52%. In opposition under Eric Willis, Coleman served as the Shadow Minister for Justice and Services.
's 80%, while only 15% believed he would make a good Premier. This was further strengthened when at the July by-election held in the seat of Earlwood
, vacated by Premier Willis, a swing of 7% delivered the seat to the ALP.
Taking advatage of this good result, Wran called an early election for October 1978. At the 1978 election
, Coleman and the Coalition campaigned on a platform based around the 'spectre' of "Whitlamism
" and attempted to undermine the strong central leadership of Wran: "Labor has failed. It's a one man band! Less talk. More action. Vote Liberal". This failed to resonate with voters, and the election, which was later termed the "Wranslide", saw a massive defeat for the Opposition Coalition. Labor won 58% of the primary vote and 69 of 99 seats in the lower house. Many traditional Liberal seats such as Manly
and Wakehurst
were lost and Coleman himself lost his seat of Fuller with only 41% against Hunter's Hill Municipal Council
Alderman, Rodney Cavalier
, a result that had been anticipated by many.
In September 1979, Coleman was appointed as Administrator of Norfolk Island
. Following the resignation of Robert Ellicott, he gained Liberal Party pre-selection for the federal
seat of Wentworth
and was elected in a by-election in April 1981. He retired from parliament before the 1987 election and resumed his literary career.
In 2008, Coleman assisted his son-in-law, Peter Costello
, in writing and editing his account of his career: "The Costello Memoirs
". He currently is a regular contributor to the Australian section of The Spectator
with a weekly article entitled 'Australian Notes' since 2009 and also contributes to The Australian
and ABC News
.
Tom Lewis (Australian politician)
Thomas Lancelot Lewis AO is a former New South Wales politician, Premier of New South Wales and Minister of the Crown in the cabinets of Sir Robert Askin and Sir Eric Willis. He was made the Premier of New South Wales following Askin's retirement from politics and held it until he was replaced by...
and Sir Eric Willis
Eric Willis
Sir Eric Archibald Willis KBE, CMG was an Australian politician, Cabinet Minister and the 34th Premier of New South Wales, serving from 23 January 1976 to 14 May 1976. Born in Murwillumbah in 1922, Willis was educated at Murwillumbah High School and the University of Sydney, where he obtained a...
. Following Willis' resignation as leader he was made Leader of the New South Wales Opposition
Leader of the Opposition (New South Wales)
The role of the Leader of Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition in New South Wales is a title held by the leader of the largest minority party in the state lower house, the New South Wales Legislative Assembly...
. He was a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
New South Wales Legislative Assembly
The Legislative Assembly, or lower house, is one of the two chambers of the Parliament of New South Wales, an Australian state. The other chamber is the Legislative Council. Both the Assembly and Council sit at Parliament House in the state capital, Sydney...
for 10 years from 24 February 1968 until he lost his seat and his position as leader at the 1978 election and then for 6 years in 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 Wentworth
Division of Wentworth
The Division of Wentworth is an Australian Electoral Division in the state of New South Wales. It was proclaimed in 1900 and was one of the original 75 divisions contested at the first federal election. The Division is named after William Charles Wentworth , a noted Australian explorer and statesman...
for the Liberal Party of Australia
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...
.
Early life
Coleman was born in the Melbourne suburb of CaulfieldCaulfield, Victoria
Caulfield is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 12 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Glen Eira...
, the son of Stanley Charles Coleman, an advertising agent, and Norma Victoria Tiernan. Moving to Sydney, New South Wales, Coleman was educated at the selective North Sydney Boys High School
North Sydney Boys High School
North Sydney Boys High School is an academically selective, public high school for boys, located at Crows Nest in Sydney, Australia.- History :...
. He graduated from the University of Sydney
University of Sydney
The University of Sydney is a public university located in Sydney, New South Wales. The main campus spreads across the suburbs of Camperdown and Darlington on the southwestern outskirts of the Sydney CBD. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and Oceania...
with a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
(BA) in 1950 and then travelled to the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
to study at the London School of Economics
London School of Economics
The London School of Economics and Political Science is a public research university specialised in the social sciences located in London, United Kingdom, and a constituent college of the federal University of London...
, from which he graduated with an Master of Science
Master of Science
A Master of Science is a postgraduate academic master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is typically studied for in the sciences including the social sciences.-Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay:...
degree specialising in Economics in 1952. On 5 April 1952 he married the writer, Verna Scott. Together they had two daughters, Tanya, who became a lawyer and later wife of Deputy Liberal Leader Peter Costello
Peter Costello
Peter Howard Costello AC is an Australian politician and lawyer who served as the Treasurer in the Australian government from 1996 to 2007. He is the longest-serving Treasurer in Australian history. Costello was a Member of the Australian House of Representatives from 1990 to 2009, representing...
, Ursula
Ursula Dubosarsky
Ursula Dubosarsky is an Australian writer of fiction and non-fiction for children and young adults. She has won nine national literary prizes, including five NSW Premier's Literary Awards, more than any other writer in the Awards' 30 year history...
, who became a children's book author, and a son, William, who is an economist.
Teaching for a year in the Sudan
Sudan
Sudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
, Coleman returned to Australia with his family to undertake a career as a journalist. Coleman became associate editor of The Observer between 1958 and 1960, a fortnightly magazine founded in 1958, which was absorbed by The Bulletin
The Bulletin
The Bulletin was an Australian weekly magazine that was published in Sydney from 1880 until January 2008. It was influential in Australian culture and politics from about 1890 until World War I, the period when it was identified with the "Bulletin school" of Australian literature. Its influence...
in 1961. He consequently became the Editor of The Bulletin between 1964 and 1967 and later as editor of 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...
magazine for twenty years between 1967 and 1990.
Public life
Coleman joined the Liberal Party and was elected as the LiberalLiberal 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...
member for Fuller
Electoral district of Fuller
Fuller was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales, created in 1968 in the Ryde area and named after George Fuller, Premier of New South Wales, 1922-1925. It was abolished in 1981 and largely replaced by Gladesville.-Members for Fuller:...
, a marginal seat taking in North Ryde
North Ryde, New South Wales
North Ryde is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. North Ryde is located 15 kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the City of Ryde...
, Gladesville
Gladesville, New South Wales
Gladesville is a suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Gladesville is located 9 kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government areas of the City of Ryde and the Municipality of Hunter's Hill and is part of the Northern Suburbs area.Gladesville prides...
and Hunter's Hill
Hunter's Hill, New South Wales
Hunters Hill is a suburb in Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Hunters Hill is located 9 kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre for the local government area of the Municipality of Hunter's Hill.Hunters Hill is situated on a...
, in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
New South Wales Legislative Assembly
The Legislative Assembly, or lower house, is one of the two chambers of the Parliament of New South Wales, an Australian state. The other chamber is the Legislative Council. Both the Assembly and Council sit at Parliament House in the state capital, Sydney...
at the February 1968 election
New South Wales state election, 1968
The 1968 New South Wales state election was held on 24 February 1968. It was conducted in single member constituencies with compulsory preferential voting and was held on boundaries created at a 1966 redistribution...
, defeating the Labor Member of the abolished seat of Ryde, Frank Downing
Frank Downing
Francis George Downing was an Australian politician and a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly from 1953 until 1968. He was a member of the Australian Labor Party ....
, after preferences on 52%. Originally serving on the backbench, Coleman gained experience through his appointment as a member of the Australian Council for the Arts from 1968 to 1973, a councillor of the National Institute of Dramatic Art
National Institute of Dramatic Art
The National Institute of Dramatic Art is an Australian national training institute for students of theatre, film, and television, based in the Sydney suburb of Kensington. It is supported by the federal Office for the Arts, Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. NIDA is located adjacent...
from 1970 to 1985, and as Chairman of the Interim Council of the National Film and Television School
National Film and Television School
The National Film and Television School was established in 1971 and is based at Beaconsfield Studios in Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire, and it is located close to Pinewood Studios.-History:...
from 1971 to 1973. In 1974, Coleman became the Chairman of the Select Committee into Appointment of Judges to the High Court, which examined different judicial appointment methods for the state prior to the 1977 Federal Referendum
Australian referendum, 1977 (Retirement of Judges)
The legislation Constitution Alteration 1977 proposed to create a retirementage of 70 for judges in federal courts.The question was put to a referendum in the Australian referendum, 1977.-Results:...
. Coleman was then further promoted in June 1975 as the Parliamentary Secretary to the Premier, Tom Lewis
Tom Lewis (Australian politician)
Thomas Lancelot Lewis AO is a former New South Wales politician, Premier of New South Wales and Minister of the Crown in the cabinets of Sir Robert Askin and Sir Eric Willis. He was made the Premier of New South Wales following Askin's retirement from politics and held it until he was replaced by...
, in which capacity he served only five months until his promotion to Cabinet.
He was made a Minister of the Crown in October 1975 as the Assistant Treasurer
Treasurer of New South Wales
The Treasurer of New South Wales, known from 1856–1959 as the Colonial Treasurer of New South Wales, is the minister in the Government of New South Wales responsible for government expenditure and revenue raising and is the head of the New South Wales Treasury. The Treasurer plays a key role in...
and Minister for Revenue. When Lewis was deposed by several parliamentary backbenchers and the Minister for Education, Sir Eric Willis
Eric Willis
Sir Eric Archibald Willis KBE, CMG was an Australian politician, Cabinet Minister and the 34th Premier of New South Wales, serving from 23 January 1976 to 14 May 1976. Born in Murwillumbah in 1922, Willis was educated at Murwillumbah High School and the University of Sydney, where he obtained a...
, became Premier, Coleman was appointed to the revived office of Chief Secretary from January 1976. He served in Cabinet until the defeat of the Willis government in the May 1976 election
New South Wales state election, 1976
A general election for the New South Wales Legislative Assembly was held in the state of New South Wales, Australia, on Saturday 1 May 1976. The result was a narrow win for the Australian Labor Party under Neville Wran—the party's first in the state in more than a decade.- Issues :The incumbent...
, at which he retained his seat on a slightly increased margin of 52%. In opposition under Eric Willis, Coleman served as the Shadow Minister for Justice and Services.
Leadership and post-politics
On 15 December 1977 four party MPs declared that they would oppose Willis in a leadership ballot the next day. On 16 December 1977, Willis resigned and Coleman was elected as the leader by the party. The instability that led to his election would also mark his term as leader and Coleman struggled to be noticed by the electorate. Considered by many as 'aloof' and having a 'wooden' persona, Coleman's unsteady position was confirmed by April 1978 ALP marginal seat polling, which revealed a 30% satisfaction rating in his leadership, compared to Premier Neville WranNeville Wran
Neville Kenneth Wran, AC, CNZM, QC was the Premier of New South Wales from 1976 until 1986. He was National President of the Australian Labor Party from 1980 to 1986 and Chairman of both the Lionel Murphy Foundation and the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation from 1986...
's 80%, while only 15% believed he would make a good Premier. This was further strengthened when at the July by-election held in the seat of Earlwood
Electoral district of Earlwood
Earlwood was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly of the Australian state of New South Wales from 1950 to 1991. It included Earlwood.-Members for Earlwood:...
, vacated by Premier Willis, a swing of 7% delivered the seat to the ALP.
Taking advatage of this good result, Wran called an early election for October 1978. At the 1978 election
New South Wales state election, 1978
A general election was held in the state of New South Wales, Australia, on Saturday 7 October 1978. The result was the "Wranslide": a landslide victory for the Australian Labor Party under Neville Wran....
, Coleman and the Coalition campaigned on a platform based around the 'spectre' of "Whitlamism
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 attempted to undermine the strong central leadership of Wran: "Labor has failed. It's a one man band! Less talk. More action. Vote Liberal". This failed to resonate with voters, and the election, which was later termed the "Wranslide", saw a massive defeat for the Opposition Coalition. Labor won 58% of the primary vote and 69 of 99 seats in the lower house. Many traditional Liberal seats such as Manly
Electoral district of Manly
Manly is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales. It has historically tended to be a Liberal-leaning seat. It is currently represented by the Treasurer of New South Wales, Mike Baird of the Liberal Party of Australia.-Members for Manly:-Election...
and Wakehurst
Electoral district of Wakehurst
Wakehurst is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales. It is represented by Brad Hazzard of the Liberal Party of Australia.-Members for Wakehurst:-Election results:...
were lost and Coleman himself lost his seat of Fuller with only 41% against Hunter's Hill Municipal Council
Municipality of Hunter's Hill
The Municipality of Hunter's Hill is a Local Government Area in the Northern Suburbs of Sydney, and is the smallest Local Government Area in New South Wales by area. The mayor of Hunters Hill is Susan Hoopman.- Demographics :According to the , there:...
Alderman, Rodney Cavalier
Rodney Cavalier
Rodney Mark Cavalier is a former New South Wales government Minister and the current Chairman of the Sydney Cricket Ground Trust....
, a result that had been anticipated by many.
In September 1979, Coleman was appointed as Administrator of Norfolk Island
Norfolk Island
Norfolk Island is a small island in the Pacific Ocean located between Australia, New Zealand and New Caledonia. The island is part of the Commonwealth of Australia, but it enjoys a large degree of self-governance...
. Following the resignation of Robert Ellicott, he gained Liberal Party pre-selection for the federal
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....
seat of Wentworth
Division of Wentworth
The Division of Wentworth is an Australian Electoral Division in the state of New South Wales. It was proclaimed in 1900 and was one of the original 75 divisions contested at the first federal election. The Division is named after William Charles Wentworth , a noted Australian explorer and statesman...
and was elected in a by-election in April 1981. He retired from parliament before the 1987 election and resumed his literary career.
In 2008, Coleman assisted his son-in-law, Peter Costello
Peter Costello
Peter Howard Costello AC is an Australian politician and lawyer who served as the Treasurer in the Australian government from 1996 to 2007. He is the longest-serving Treasurer in Australian history. Costello was a Member of the Australian House of Representatives from 1990 to 2009, representing...
, in writing and editing his account of his career: "The Costello Memoirs
The Costello Memoirs
The Costello Memoirs is a collection of writings by Australian politician and long-standing treasurer Peter Costello and co-authored by former politician and Costello's father-in-law, Peter Coleman...
". He currently is a regular contributor to the Australian section of The Spectator
The Spectator
The Spectator is a weekly British magazine first published on 6 July 1828. It is currently owned by David and Frederick Barclay, who also owns The Daily Telegraph. Its principal subject areas are politics and culture...
with a weekly article entitled 'Australian Notes' since 2009 and also contributes to 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....
and ABC News
ABC News
ABC News is the news gathering and broadcasting division of American broadcast television network ABC, a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company...
.