Neville Wran
Encyclopedia
Neville Kenneth Wran, AC
, CNZM
, QC
(born 11 October 1926) was the Premier of New South Wales from 1976 until 1986. He was National President of the Australian Labor Party
(ALP) from 1980 to 1986 and Chairman of both the Lionel Murphy
Foundation and the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation
(CSIRO) from 1986 to 1991.
and educated at Nicholson Street Public School, Balmain
, Fort St Boys' High
and the University of Sydney
, where, ironically enough, he was a member of the Liberal Club
, and from which he gained a Bachelor of Laws in 1948. He was admitted as a solicitor in 1951, called to the Bar
in 1957, and became a Queen's Counsel
in 1968.
, the Legislative Council
. Three years afterwards, he moved to the lower house, the Legislative Assembly
, in the seat of Bass Hill
, He then challenged Pat Hills for the state leadership of the ALP (which Hills had held since 1968). With support from right-wing powerbroker John Ducker and his left-wing running mate Jack Ferguson
, Wran won the leadership contest by just one vote.
In May 1976, six months after Gough Whitlam
's federal ALP government's dismissal, Wran became NSW premier with a one-seat majority, defeating the Liberal Party
's Sir Eric Willis
. In 1978, campaigning with the slogan 'Wran's our Man', his government was returned with a 'Wranslide' election victory. It was the largest primary vote of any party in a century; and the Opposition Leader on that occasion, Peter Coleman
, lost his seat. In 1981, Wran won a second 'Wranslide', earning for Labor its largest proportion of seats in Parliament. His fourth victory in 1984 (though much smaller than the previous two) still produced a larger majority than any of the victories won by the Liberals' Sir Robert Askin
in the 1960s and 1970s.
Wran was also very popular, at one stage rating over 80 per cent approval in opinion polls. He was often talked about as a national political leader and rated highly in national polls as an alternative Labor Leader to Bill Hayden
. He featured in Hayden's 1980 Federal election campaign, along with Bob Hawke
.
Wran was a Labor premier at a time when most Australian governments were held by conservative
coalitions. During Wran's 10 years as Premier of New South Wales, the government embarked on a program of reform and change. Priorities were public transport (with the exception of the Warringah Transport Corridor which was cancelled despite a recommendation by Justice Kirby that it be built), the environment, consumer protection and job creation. He also achieved significant electoral institutional reform such as a democratic Legislative Council, four year terms, public funding and disclosure laws and a pecuniary interests register for members of parliament. He also undertook the state's largest capital works program and refurbished many iconic places in Sydney. His government also built the modern-day Darling Harbour
precinct.
Wran resigned both the premiership and his seat in Parliament on 4 July 1986, after continuously holding office longer than any other Premier in the history of NSW until that time. Bob Carr
has since broken that record. Henry Parkes
served longer than Wran in total, serving five terms between 1872 and 1891. The by-election for Wran's seat of Bass Hill was narrowly won by Michael Owen
for the Liberal Party.
, former Federal Immigration Minister, in allowing Domenico Barbaro, a Mafia figure in the Griffith region of New South Wales, back into Australia after having been earlier deported because of his criminal record. However, as journalist David Hickie explains, Wran attempted to undermine the influence of organised crime, particularly in the area of illegal casinos.
Further, in 1983, Wran faced the Street
Royal Commission
over claims by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC
) current affairs show Four Corners that he had tried to influence the magistracy over the 1977 committal of Kevin Humphreys, who had been charged with misappropriation of funds. His Corrective Services Minister, Rex Jackson
, was jailed in 1987 for accepting bribes for the early release of prisoners.
Order of Australia
The Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, "for the purpose of according recognition to Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or for meritorious service"...
, CNZM
New Zealand Order of Merit
The New Zealand Order of Merit is an order established in 1996 "for those persons who in any field of endeavour, have rendered meritorious service to the Crown and nation or who have become distinguished by their eminence, talents, contributions or other merits."The order includes five...
, QC
Queen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel , known as King's Counsel during the reign of a male sovereign, are lawyers appointed by letters patent to be one of Her [or His] Majesty's Counsel learned in the law...
(born 11 October 1926) was the Premier of New South Wales from 1976 until 1986. He was National President of the 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...
(ALP) from 1980 to 1986 and Chairman of both the Lionel Murphy
Lionel Murphy
Lionel Keith Murphy, QC was an Australian politician and jurist who served as Attorney-General in the government of Gough Whitlam and as a Justice of the High Court of Australia from 1975 until his death.- Personal life :...
Foundation and the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation
Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation
The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation is the national government body for scientific research in Australia...
(CSIRO) from 1986 to 1991.
Early years
Wran was born in the Sydney suburb of PaddingtonPaddington, New South Wales
Paddington is an inner-city, eastern suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Paddington is located 3 kilometres east of the Sydney central business district and lies across the local government areas of the City of Sydney and the Municipality of Woollahra...
and educated at Nicholson Street Public School, Balmain
Balmain, New South Wales
Balmain is a suburb in the inner-west of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Balmain is located slightly west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the Municipality of Leichhardt....
, Fort St Boys' High
Fort Street High School
Fort Street High School is a co-educational, academically selective, public high school currently located at Petersham, an inner western suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia....
and the University of Sydney
University of Sydney
The University of Sydney is a public university located in Sydney, New South Wales. The main campus spreads across the suburbs of Camperdown and Darlington on the southwestern outskirts of the Sydney CBD. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and Oceania...
, where, ironically enough, he was a member of the Liberal Club
Sydney University Liberal Club
The Sydney University Liberal Club is student association, operating under the auspices of the University of Sydney Union . The club hosts a range of policy debates, social events, campaign workshops, student election campaigns, and guest speaker events with Member of Parliament . It is an...
, and from which he gained a Bachelor of Laws in 1948. He was admitted as a solicitor in 1951, called to the Bar
Bar association
A bar association is a professional body of lawyers. Some bar associations are responsible for the regulation of the legal profession in their jurisdiction; others are professional organizations dedicated to serving their members; in many cases, they are both...
in 1957, and became a Queen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel , known as King's Counsel during the reign of a male sovereign, are lawyers appointed by letters patent to be one of Her [or His] Majesty's Counsel learned in the law...
in 1968.
Political career
He began his political career in 1970 when he became a member of the upper house of the Parliament of New South WalesParliament of New South Wales
The Parliament of New South Wales, located in Parliament House on Macquarie Street, Sydney, is the main legislative body in the Australian state of New South Wales . It is a bicameral parliament elected by the people of the state in general elections. The parliament shares law making powers with...
, the Legislative Council
New South Wales Legislative Council
The New South Wales Legislative Council, or upper house, is one of the two chambers of the parliament of New South Wales in Australia. The other is the Legislative Assembly. Both sit at Parliament House in the state capital, Sydney. The Assembly is referred to as the lower house and the Council as...
. Three years afterwards, he moved to the lower house, the 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...
, in the seat of Bass Hill
Electoral district of Bass Hill
Bass Hill was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian State of New South Wales from 1962 to 1991, including the Sydney suburb of Bass Hill.-Members for Bass Hill:...
, He then challenged Pat Hills for the state leadership of the ALP (which Hills had held since 1968). With support from right-wing powerbroker John Ducker and his left-wing running mate Jack Ferguson
Jack Ferguson
Laurie John Ferguson was an Australian politician and member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly.-Early life:...
, Wran won the leadership contest by just one vote.
In May 1976, six months after Gough Whitlam
Gough Whitlam
Edward Gough Whitlam, AC, QC , known as Gough Whitlam , served as the 21st Prime Minister of Australia. Whitlam led the Australian Labor Party to power at the 1972 election and retained government at the 1974 election, before being dismissed by Governor-General Sir John Kerr at the climax of the...
's federal ALP government's dismissal, Wran became NSW premier with a one-seat majority, defeating 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...
's Sir 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...
. In 1978, campaigning with the slogan 'Wran's our Man', his government was returned with a 'Wranslide' election victory. It was the largest primary vote of any party in a century; and the Opposition Leader on that occasion, Peter Coleman
Peter Coleman
William Peter Coleman is an Australian writer/journalist, former politician and Minister of the Crown in the cabinets of Tom Lewis and Sir Eric Willis. Following Willis' resignation as leader he was made Leader of the New South Wales Opposition...
, lost his seat. In 1981, Wran won a second 'Wranslide', earning for Labor its largest proportion of seats in Parliament. His fourth victory in 1984 (though much smaller than the previous two) still produced a larger majority than any of the victories won by the Liberals' 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...
in the 1960s and 1970s.
Wran was also very popular, at one stage rating over 80 per cent approval in opinion polls. He was often talked about as a national political leader and rated highly in national polls as an alternative Labor Leader to Bill Hayden
Bill Hayden
William George "Bill" Hayden AC was the 21st Governor-General of Australia. Prior to this, he represented the Australian Labor Party in parliament; he was a minister in the government of Gough Whitlam, and later became Leader of the Opposition, narrowly losing the 1980 federal election to the...
. He featured in Hayden's 1980 Federal election campaign, along with Bob Hawke
Bob Hawke
Robert James Lee "Bob" Hawke AC GCL was the 23rd Prime Minister of Australia from March 1983 to December 1991 and therefore longest serving Australian Labor Party Prime Minister....
.
Coalition (Australia)
The Coalition in Australian politics refers to a group of centre-right parties that has existed in the form of a coalition agreement since 1922...
coalitions. During Wran's 10 years as Premier of New South Wales, the government embarked on a program of reform and change. Priorities were public transport (with the exception of the Warringah Transport Corridor which was cancelled despite a recommendation by Justice Kirby that it be built), the environment, consumer protection and job creation. He also achieved significant electoral institutional reform such as a democratic Legislative Council, four year terms, public funding and disclosure laws and a pecuniary interests register for members of parliament. He also undertook the state's largest capital works program and refurbished many iconic places in Sydney. His government also built the modern-day Darling Harbour
Darling Harbour, New South Wales
Darling Harbour is a locality of the city centre of Sydney, Australia. It is a large recreational and pedestrian precinct that is situated on western outskirts of the Sydney central business district. The locality extends northwards from Chinatown, along both sides of Cockle Bay to King Street...
precinct.
Wran resigned both the premiership and his seat in Parliament on 4 July 1986, after continuously holding office longer than any other Premier in the history of NSW until that time. Bob 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...
has since broken that record. Henry Parkes
Henry Parkes
Sir Henry Parkes, GCMG was an Australian statesman, the "Father of Federation." As the earliest advocate of a Federal Council of the colonies of Australia, a precursor to the Federation of Australia, he was the most prominent of the Australian Founding Fathers.Parkes was described during his...
served longer than Wran in total, serving five terms between 1872 and 1891. The by-election for Wran's seat of Bass Hill was narrowly won by Michael Owen
Michael Owen (Australian politician)
Michael Joseph Owen is a former Australian politician. He was the Liberal member for Bass Hill in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly from 1986 to 1988....
for the Liberal Party.
Controversy
In 1977, Wran supported Al GrassbyAl Grassby
Albert Jaime Grassby, AM , Australian politician, was Minister for Immigration in the Whitlam Labor government. He initiated sweeping reforms in immigration, human rights, and is often known as the father of Australian "multiculturalism".-Early life and state politics:Born Albert Grassby in...
, former Federal Immigration Minister, in allowing Domenico Barbaro, a Mafia figure in the Griffith region of New South Wales, back into Australia after having been earlier deported because of his criminal record. However, as journalist David Hickie explains, Wran attempted to undermine the influence of organised crime, particularly in the area of illegal casinos.
Further, in 1983, Wran faced the Street
Laurence Street
Sir Laurence Whistler Street AC, KCMG, QC is an Australian jurist and former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of New South Wales.-Family:...
Royal Commission
Royal Commission
In Commonwealth realms and other monarchies a Royal Commission is a major ad-hoc formal public inquiry into a defined issue. They have been held in various countries such as the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and Saudi Arabia...
over claims by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly referred to as "the ABC" , is Australia's national public broadcaster...
) current affairs show Four Corners that he had tried to influence the magistracy over the 1977 committal of Kevin Humphreys, who had been charged with misappropriation of funds. His Corrective Services 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...
, was jailed in 1987 for accepting bribes for the early release of prisoners.
Honours
- In June 1987 he was appointed an Officer in the Order of the Golden ArkOrder of the Golden ArkThe Most Excellent Order of the Golden Ark was established by Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands in 1971 as an order of merit. Although not awarded by, it is recognized by the government of the Netherlands as a legal order. It is awarded to people for major contributions to nature conservation...
(NetherlandsNetherlandsThe Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
) "for his contribution to the environment".
- In October 1987 he was appointed "Grande Ufficiale" by the President of the Republic of Italy.
- He was appointed a Companion of the Order of Australia on 26 January 1988 "For service to government and politics and to the New South Wales Parliament".
- On 6 May 1995 Sydney University awarded Wran the degree of Doctor of Laws (honoris causa).
- On 31 December 2009, the New Zealand Government appointed him a Companion of the New Zealand Order of MeritNew Zealand Order of MeritThe New Zealand Order of Merit is an order established in 1996 "for those persons who in any field of endeavour, have rendered meritorious service to the Crown and nation or who have become distinguished by their eminence, talents, contributions or other merits."The order includes five...
, for services to New Zealand – Australia relations.