Ian Griffith
Encyclopedia
Ian Ross Griffith was an Australian politician and a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
from 1956 until 1978. He was a member of the Liberal Party of Australia
and held ministerial positions in the governments of Sir Robert Askin
and Eric Willis
.
and was the son of a chemical analyst. He was educated at Melbourne High School and worked as a bank officer for the National Bank of Australasia
eventually becoming a public relations officer in Sydney. During the Second World War, he served with the Royal Australian Navy
and reached the rank of Lieutenant.
. He defeated the sitting Labor member, Tom Dalton
, who won the seat in a surprise result at the previous election
. The Liberal Party's hold on Sutherland was adversely affected by a redistribution at the 1959
election and Griffith successfully contested the new and safer seat of Cronulla
.He retained the seat until he lost the Liberal Party's endorsement before the 1978
election and retired from public life.
but was appointed as the Minister for Housing in the short lived government of Eric Willis
between January and May 1976.
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 1956 until 1978. He was a member of 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...
and held ministerial positions in the governments of Sir Robert Askin
Robert Askin
Sir Robert William Askin GCMG, was an Australian politician and the 32nd Premier of New South Wales from 1965 to 1975, the first representing the Liberal Party of Australia. He was born in 1907 as Robin William Askin, but always disliked his first name and changed it by deed poll in 1971...
and 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...
.
Early life
Griffith was born in Caulfield, VictoriaCaulfield, 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...
and was the son of a chemical analyst. He was educated at Melbourne High School and worked as a bank officer for the National Bank of Australasia
National Australia Bank
National Australia Bank is one of the four largest financial institutions in Australia in terms of market capitalisation and customers. NAB is ranked 17th largest bank in the world measured by market capitalisation...
eventually becoming a public relations officer in Sydney. During the Second World War, he served with the Royal Australian Navy
Royal Australian Navy
The Royal Australian Navy is the naval branch of the Australian Defence Force. Following the Federation of Australia in 1901, the ships and resources of the separate colonial navies were integrated into a national force: the Commonwealth Naval Forces...
and reached the rank of Lieutenant.
State Parliament
Griffith entered the New South Wales parliament at the 1956 election as the Liberal member for SutherlandElectoral district of Sutherland
Sutherland was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales from 1950 to 1971 before it was abolished. The seat was reformed in 1988 until 1999...
. He defeated the sitting Labor member, Tom Dalton
Tom Dalton
Thomas William Dalton was an Australian politician and a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly from 1953 until 1956 and from 1959 until 1968. He was a member of the Australian Labor Party .-Early life:...
, who won the seat in a surprise result at the previous election
New South Wales state election, 1953
The 1953 New South Wales state election was held on 14 February 1953. It was conducted in single member constituencies with compulsory preferential voting and was held on boundaries created at a 1952 redistribution...
. The Liberal Party's hold on Sutherland was adversely affected by a redistribution at the 1959
New South Wales state election, 1959
The 1959 New South Wales state election was held on 21 March 1959. It was conducted in single member constituencies with compulsory preferential voting and was held on boundaries created at a 1957 redistribution...
election and Griffith successfully contested the new and safer seat of Cronulla
Electoral district of Cronulla
Cronulla is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales. It is represented by Mark Speakman of the Liberal Party of Australia.-Members for Cronulla:-Election results:...
.He retained the seat until he lost the Liberal Party's endorsement before the 1978
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....
election and retired from public life.
Government
Griffith was promoted to the position of Chief Secretary and Minister for Tourism, under Sir Robert Askin, between 1972 and 1975. He was demoted to the backbench when Askin retired and was succeeded as Premier by Tom LewisTom 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...
but was appointed as the Minister for Housing in the short lived government of 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...
between January and May 1976.