Ron Dunbier
Encyclopedia
Rowland Albert "Ron" Dunbier (29 August 1914 – 23 April 1984) was an Australia
n politician. He was the Liberal
member for Nepean
in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
from 1965 to 1971.
Dunbier was born in Campsie
to Rowland Arthur Dunbier, a boot operator, and his wife Mary. He was educated at South Strathfield
Public School and Ashfield
Technical College before enlisting in the RAAF
; he served in New Guinea
. On his return he opened an iceworks in Liverpool
and later worked as a motor dealer. In 1948 he was elected to Liverpool Council
, resigning in 1953 but serving again from 1954 to 1962. He was mayor from 1949 to 1952, 1957 to 1959 and in 1962. On 21 October 1936 he married Violet; their son, Max Dunbier
, was also a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
.
Dunbier had originally been a member of the Labor Party
, but he defected to the Liberal Party
in the 1950s. In 1965 he defeated Labor MP Alfred Bennett
to win the seat of Nepean
. He was re-elected in 1968, but lost his seat in 1971 to Labor's Ron Mulock
. He was the Liberal candidate for the federal seat of Werriwa
in 1972 but was unsuccessful; he subsequently returned to local politics, serving on Liverpool Council from 1974 to 1976. Dunbier died in Badgerys Creek
in 1984.
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 politician. He was the Liberal
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...
member for Nepean
Electoral district of Nepean (New South Wales)
Nepean was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales, originally created in 1859, and named after the Nepean River. It was abolished in 1904 with the downsizing of the Assembly after Federation. Nepean was recreated in 1927 and abolished again in...
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...
from 1965 to 1971.
Dunbier was born in Campsie
Campsie, New South Wales
Campsie is a suburb in south-western Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Campsie is located 13 kilometres south-west of the Sydney central business district, on the southern bank of the Cooks River. Campsie is the commercial and administrative centre of the City of...
to Rowland Arthur Dunbier, a boot operator, and his wife Mary. He was educated at South Strathfield
Strathfield, New South Wales
Strathfield is an Inner West suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Strathfield is located 14 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre of the local government area of the Municipality of Strathfield...
Public School and Ashfield
Ashfield, New South Wales
Ashfield is a suburb in the inner-west of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Ashfield is about 9 kilometres south-west of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre for the local government area of the Municipality of Ashfield.The official name for the...
Technical College before enlisting in the RAAF
Royal Australian Air Force
The Royal Australian Air Force is the air force branch of the Australian Defence Force. The RAAF was formed in March 1921. It continues the traditions of the Australian Flying Corps , which was formed on 22 October 1912. The RAAF has taken part in many of the 20th century's major conflicts...
; he served in New Guinea
New Guinea
New Guinea is the world's second largest island, after Greenland, covering a land area of 786,000 km2. Located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, it lies geographically to the east of the Malay Archipelago, with which it is sometimes included as part of a greater Indo-Australian Archipelago...
. On his return he opened an iceworks in Liverpool
Liverpool, New South Wales
Liverpool is a suburb in south-western Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Liverpool is located 32 km south-west of the Sydney central business district, and is the administrative centre of the local government area of the City of Liverpool...
and later worked as a motor dealer. In 1948 he was elected to Liverpool Council
City of Liverpool
-Aircraft:* City of Liverpool , an Imperial Airways Armstrong Whitworth Argosy that crashed in 1933 in what is suspected to be the first ever occurrence of aerial sabotage-Locations:* Liverpool, a city in the north west of England...
, resigning in 1953 but serving again from 1954 to 1962. He was mayor from 1949 to 1952, 1957 to 1959 and in 1962. On 21 October 1936 he married Violet; their son, Max Dunbier
Max Dunbier
Maxwell John Rowland "Max" Dunbier is a former Australian politician. He was the Liberal member for Campbelltown in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly from 1968 to 1971....
, was also 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...
.
Dunbier had originally been a member of the 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...
, but he defected to 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...
in the 1950s. In 1965 he defeated Labor MP Alfred Bennett
Alfred Bennett (Australian politician)
Alfred Ernest Bennett was an Australian politician. He was an Australian Labor Party member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly from 1962 to 1965, representing the electorate of Nepean....
to win the seat of Nepean
Electoral district of Nepean (New South Wales)
Nepean was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales, originally created in 1859, and named after the Nepean River. It was abolished in 1904 with the downsizing of the Assembly after Federation. Nepean was recreated in 1927 and abolished again in...
. He was re-elected in 1968, but lost his seat in 1971 to Labor's Ron Mulock
Ron Mulock
Ronald Joseph "Ron" Mulock was an Australian politician and a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly.-Early years:...
. He was the Liberal candidate for the federal seat of Werriwa
Division of Werriwa
The Division of Werriwa is a Federal Electoral Division for the Australian House of Representatives.The name Werriwa derives from a local Aboriginal name for Lake George, which was located in the division when it was established in 1900. The division was one of the original 75 divisions first...
in 1972 but was unsuccessful; he subsequently returned to local politics, serving on Liverpool Council from 1974 to 1976. Dunbier died in Badgerys Creek
Badgerys Creek, New South Wales
-People:According to the 2006 census taken by the Australian Bureau of Statistics, Badgerys Creek had a population of 721, an improvement on the 1996 figure but still less than half the number in 1981. Well over half the houses were being rented , largely because of the federal government's...
in 1984.