Keith Compton
Encyclopedia
Keith Clive Compton was an Australia
n politician. He was an Australian Labor Party
member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
from 1959 to 1965, representing the electorate of Lismore
.
Compton was born in Maitland
and attended West Maitland High School. He trained as an engineer, working as an assistant engineer for the Shire of Kyogle from 1925 to 1930, before taking a position as shire engineer for the Lismore-based Shire of Gundurimba, which he would hold until his election to parliament in 1959. He served as the director of the Lismore Base Hospital
during the 1950s, and was a member of the board of the Lismore Technical College. He was involved in local politics, serving as a local councillor for a period around 1939, joining the Labor Party in 1940, and being an unsuccessful Labor candidate at the 1946 election
.
In 1959, the state electorate of Lismore
was considered highly safe for the conservative Country Party
, and Labor had not contested the seat at the 1959 election
. A bitter battle between an independent and endorsed Country Party candidate saw the endorsed candidate, Jack Easter
, win by two votes, and the Court of Disputed Returns overturned the result and called a new election in the seat. Labor endorsed Compton for the by-election and directed a large amount of resources into the campaign, and amidst significant Country Party infighting, won the seat in a landslide.
Compton was appointed to the ministry as Minister for Lands in 1961, and oversaw large amounts of infrastructure construction in the Lismore area, including new schools and a new hospital. He was easily re-elected in 1962, but faced a much more significant challenge in 1965. High unemployment and a struggling local economy saw growing disillusionment with Labor, and he was defeated by Country Party candidate Bruce Duncan
, who subsequently held the seat for 23 years with little difficulty.
Compton resigned from the Labor Party in 1966. He died in 1977 at Lismore, and is buried in the Lismore Cemetery.
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 1959 to 1965, representing the electorate of Lismore
Electoral district of Lismore
Lismore is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales. It is represented by Thomas George of the National Party of Australia....
.
Compton was born in Maitland
Maitland, New South Wales
Maitland is a city in the Lower Hunter Valley of New South Wales, Australia and the seat of Maitland City Council, situated on the Hunter River approximately by road north of Sydney and north-west of Newcastle...
and attended West Maitland High School. He trained as an engineer, working as an assistant engineer for the Shire of Kyogle from 1925 to 1930, before taking a position as shire engineer for the Lismore-based Shire of Gundurimba, which he would hold until his election to parliament in 1959. He served as the director of the Lismore Base Hospital
Lismore Base Hospital
Lismore Base Hospital is the major referral public hospital for the far north coast of New South Wales and is located in the city of Lismore in New South Wales.The Lismore Cancer Care and Haematology unit is a service within this hospital....
during the 1950s, and was a member of the board of the Lismore Technical College. He was involved in local politics, serving as a local councillor for a period around 1939, joining the Labor Party in 1940, and being an unsuccessful Labor candidate at the 1946 election
Australian federal election, 1946
Federal elections were held in Australia on 28 September 1946. All 74 seats in the House of Representatives, and 19 of the 36 seats in the Senate were up for election...
.
In 1959, the state electorate of Lismore
Electoral district of Lismore
Lismore is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales. It is represented by Thomas George of the National Party of Australia....
was considered highly safe for the conservative Country Party
National Party of Australia
The National Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Traditionally representing graziers, farmers and rural voters generally, it began as the The Country Party, but adopted the name The National Country Party in 1975, changed to The National Party of Australia in 1982. The party is...
, and Labor had not contested the seat at the 1959 election
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...
. A bitter battle between an independent and endorsed Country Party candidate saw the endorsed candidate, Jack Easter
Jack Easter
Jack Stuart Easter was an Australian politician who represented the National Party of Australia in the Parliament of New South Wales.He was educated at Ardingly College and at Regent Street Polytechnic...
, win by two votes, and the Court of Disputed Returns overturned the result and called a new election in the seat. Labor endorsed Compton for the by-election and directed a large amount of resources into the campaign, and amidst significant Country Party infighting, won the seat in a landslide.
Compton was appointed to the ministry as Minister for Lands in 1961, and oversaw large amounts of infrastructure construction in the Lismore area, including new schools and a new hospital. He was easily re-elected in 1962, but faced a much more significant challenge in 1965. High unemployment and a struggling local economy saw growing disillusionment with Labor, and he was defeated by Country Party candidate Bruce Duncan
Bruce Duncan
Robert Bruce Duncan was an Australian politician. He was the member for Lismore in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly from 1965 to 1988, first as a member of the Country Party and then as an independent....
, who subsequently held the seat for 23 years with little difficulty.
Compton resigned from the Labor Party in 1966. He died in 1977 at Lismore, and is buried in the Lismore Cemetery.