Lew Johnstone
Encyclopedia
Lewis Albert "Lew" Johnstone (5 April 1916 – 11 May 1983) was an Australia
n politician. He was a Labor
member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
, representing Cobar
from 1965 to 1968 and Broken Hill
from 1968 to 1981.
Johnstone was born in Broken Hill
to Charles Albert Johnstone, an underground mine manager, and Jessie Charlott Thueff. He was educated at public schools in the area and studied mine draughting and engineering. In 1936, the year he joined the Labor Party
, he was employed with the North Broken Hill Mining Company, and became a member of the Broken Hill Miners' Union. He married Doris Jenkins on 26 June 1937, with whom he had two daughters. In 1941 he enlisted in the AIF
, serving in Tobruk
, Syria
and El Alamein
. He was discharged in January 1945. He continued to be active in the mining unions, serving as senior assistant secretary (1951–1953) and then secretary (1954–1965) of the Broken Hill union.
In 1965, when Ernest Wetherell
, the Labor member for the state seat of Cobar
, retired, Johnstone was selected as his replacement and won the seat. Cobar was abolished in 1968 and Johnstone successfully transferred to Broken Hill
. He was elected unopposed in 1971, 1973 and 1976, and with a large margin in 1978. He retired from politics in 1981. He died in 1983 at Broken Hill.
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 a Labor
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...
, representing Cobar
Electoral district of Cobar
Cobar was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales from 1894 to 1920, when it was combined with Willyama and Sturt to create a three-member Sturt. Cobar was recreated in 1932 and abolished in 1968. It included Cobar.-Members for Cobar:...
from 1965 to 1968 and Broken Hill
Electoral district of Broken Hill
Broken Hill was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales. From 1894 to 1913, the Broken Hill district was covered by the electoral districts of Broken Hill, Willyama and Sturt. In the 1912 redistribution, the electoral district of Broken Hill...
from 1968 to 1981.
Johnstone was born in Broken Hill
Broken Hill, New South Wales
-Geology:Broken Hill's massive orebody, which formed about 1,800 million years ago, has proved to be among the world's largest silver-lead-zinc mineral deposits. The orebody is shaped like a boomerang plunging into the earth at its ends and outcropping in the centre. The protruding tip of the...
to Charles Albert Johnstone, an underground mine manager, and Jessie Charlott Thueff. He was educated at public schools in the area and studied mine draughting and engineering. In 1936, the year he joined 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...
, he was employed with the North Broken Hill Mining Company, and became a member of the Broken Hill Miners' Union. He married Doris Jenkins on 26 June 1937, with whom he had two daughters. In 1941 he enlisted in the AIF
Australian Imperial Force
The Australian Imperial Force was the name given to all-volunteer Australian Army forces dispatched to fight overseas during World War I and World War II.* First Australian Imperial Force * Second Australian Imperial Force...
, serving in Tobruk
Tobruk
Tobruk or Tubruq is a city, seaport, and peninsula on Libya's eastern Mediterranean coast, near the border with Egypt. It is the capital of the Butnan District and has a population of 120,000 ....
, Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
and El Alamein
El Alamein
El Alamein is a town in the northern Matrouh Governorate of Egypt. Located on the Mediterranean Sea, it lies west of Alexandria and northwest of Cairo. As of 2007, it has a local population of 7,397 inhabitants.- Climate :...
. He was discharged in January 1945. He continued to be active in the mining unions, serving as senior assistant secretary (1951–1953) and then secretary (1954–1965) of the Broken Hill union.
In 1965, when Ernest Wetherell
Ernest Wetherell
The Hon. Ernest "Ern" Wetherell was an Australian politician and a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly from 1949 until 1965...
, the Labor member for the state seat of Cobar
Electoral district of Cobar
Cobar was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales from 1894 to 1920, when it was combined with Willyama and Sturt to create a three-member Sturt. Cobar was recreated in 1932 and abolished in 1968. It included Cobar.-Members for Cobar:...
, retired, Johnstone was selected as his replacement and won the seat. Cobar was abolished in 1968 and Johnstone successfully transferred to Broken Hill
Electoral district of Broken Hill
Broken Hill was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales. From 1894 to 1913, the Broken Hill district was covered by the electoral districts of Broken Hill, Willyama and Sturt. In the 1912 redistribution, the electoral district of Broken Hill...
. He was elected unopposed in 1971, 1973 and 1976, and with a large margin in 1978. He retired from politics in 1981. He died in 1983 at Broken Hill.