Ian McManus
Encyclopedia
Ian McManus is an Australia
n politician. He was an Australian Labor Party
member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
from 1987 to 2003, representing the electorates of Heathcote
(1987–88, 1999–2003), Burragorang
(1988–1991) and Bulli
(1991–99). He was a parliamentary secretary in the first two terms of the Carr
Labor government.
McManus was born in Scotland
, and his family migrated to Australia
when he was a child. He attended Helensburgh Primary School, St Patrick's College in Sutherland
and St George Technical College in Kogarah
. He worked as a junior postal officer after leaving school, before joining the Royal Australian Navy
, where he served as a sonar operator from 1963 to 1971, serving in Borneo
, the Malacca Straits and Vietnam
. He won the United States Unit Commendation for his service during Operation Sea Dragon
in the Gulf of Tonkin
during the Vietnam War
. He left the navy in 1971, and worked as a senior inspector with his local water board until his election to parliament. He was also an alderman with the City of Wollongong
council and Illawarra County Council from 1977 until 1983.
McManus entered state politics in 1987 after winning Labor endorsement for a difficult by-election, sparked by the resignation of former Labor minister Rex Jackson
amidst a serious corruption scandal which would later lead to Jackson's imprisonment. The race was made further difficult for Labor due to Jackson's surprise decision to run as an independent, but McManus survived a severe anti-Labor swing to take the seat ahead of Liberal candidate Allan Andrews
.
After a hostile electoral redistribution, McManus shifted to the safer seat of Burragorang
at the 1988 general election, where Andrews won Heathcote at his second attempt. He again shifted to the newly revived seat of Bulli
at the 1991 election, and was re-elected in 1995 with the election of the Carr
Labor government. McManus served as a parliamentary secretary in the first two terms of the Carr government, and retired in 2003. He has worked as a consultant since leaving politics.
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 an Australian 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...
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...
from 1987 to 2003, representing the electorates of Heathcote
Electoral district of Heathcote
Heathcote is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales. It is represented by Lee Evans of the Liberal Party of Australia.-Members for Heathcote:-Election results:...
(1987–88, 1999–2003), Burragorang
Electoral district of Burragorang
Burragorang was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian State of New South Wales for a single term from 1988 to 1991, named after the Burragorang Valley of the Wingecarribee River. Its only member was Ian McManus....
(1988–1991) and Bulli
Electoral district of Bulli
Bulli was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales in the Bulli area. It was originally created in 1930, replacing Wollongong. In 1971 it was abolished and was divided between the new electoral district of Heathcote and Corrimal. In 1991,...
(1991–99). He was a parliamentary secretary in the first two terms of the Carr
Bob Carr
Robert John "Bob" Carr , Australian statesman, was Premier of New South Wales from 4 April 1995 to 3 August 2005. He holds the record for the longest continuous service as premier of NSW...
Labor government.
McManus was born in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, and his family migrated to 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...
when he was a child. He attended Helensburgh Primary School, St Patrick's College in Sutherland
Sutherland, New South Wales
Sutherland is a suburb in southern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Sutherland is located 26 kilometres south of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre for the local government area of the Sutherland Shire....
and St George Technical College in Kogarah
Kogarah, New South Wales
Kogarah is a suburb of southern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Kogarah is located 14 kilometres south of the Sydney central business district and is considered to be the centre of the St George area...
. He worked as a junior postal officer after leaving school, before joining 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...
, where he served as a sonar operator from 1963 to 1971, serving in Borneo
Borneo
Borneo is the third largest island in the world and is located north of Java Island, Indonesia, at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia....
, the Malacca Straits and Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
. He won the United States Unit Commendation for his service during Operation Sea Dragon
Operation Sea Dragon (Vietnam War)
Operation Sea Dragon occurred during the Vietnam War and was a series of American led naval operations beginning in 1966 to interdict sea lines of communications and supply going south from North Vietnam to South Vietnam, and to destroy land targets with naval gunfire, as well give CIA agents in...
in the Gulf of Tonkin
Gulf of Tonkin
The Gulf of Tonkin is an arm of the South China Sea, lying off the coast of northeastern Vietnam.-Etymology:The name Tonkin, written "東京" in Hán tự and Đông Kinh in romanised Vietnamese, means "Eastern Capital", and is the former toponym for Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam...
during the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
. He left the navy in 1971, and worked as a senior inspector with his local water board until his election to parliament. He was also an alderman with the City of Wollongong
City of Wollongong
The City of Wollongong is a Local Government Area in the Illawarra region of New South Wales, Australia. It is on the Pacific Ocean, the Southern Freeway and the South Coast railway line....
council and Illawarra County Council from 1977 until 1983.
McManus entered state politics in 1987 after winning Labor endorsement for a difficult by-election, sparked by the resignation of former Labor minister Rex Jackson
Rex Jackson
Rex Frederick Jackson was an Australian politician, elected as a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly. He was the son of a railway fettler and born in Wagga Wagga, New South Wales and educated at Harefield Public School and Junee and Sutherland High Schools. He became a rail...
amidst a serious corruption scandal which would later lead to Jackson's imprisonment. The race was made further difficult for Labor due to Jackson's surprise decision to run as an independent, but McManus survived a severe anti-Labor swing to take the seat ahead of Liberal candidate Allan Andrews
Allan Andrews (Australian politician)
Allan Andrews is an Australian politician. A member of the Liberal Party of Australia, he represented the electoral district of Heathcote in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly for a single term, from 1988–1991....
.
After a hostile electoral redistribution, McManus shifted to the safer seat of Burragorang
Electoral district of Burragorang
Burragorang was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian State of New South Wales for a single term from 1988 to 1991, named after the Burragorang Valley of the Wingecarribee River. Its only member was Ian McManus....
at the 1988 general election, where Andrews won Heathcote at his second attempt. He again shifted to the newly revived seat of Bulli
Electoral district of Bulli
Bulli was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales in the Bulli area. It was originally created in 1930, replacing Wollongong. In 1971 it was abolished and was divided between the new electoral district of Heathcote and Corrimal. In 1991,...
at the 1991 election, and was re-elected in 1995 with the election of the Carr
Bob Carr
Robert John "Bob" Carr , Australian statesman, was Premier of New South Wales from 4 April 1995 to 3 August 2005. He holds the record for the longest continuous service as premier of NSW...
Labor government. McManus served as a parliamentary secretary in the first two terms of the Carr government, and retired in 2003. He has worked as a consultant since leaving politics.