Patrick O'Brien (political scientist)
Encyclopedia
Patrick John O’Brien (12 January 1937, Wodonga, Victoria - 1998, Perth, Western Australia), was an Australian
political scientist and author, teaching in the political science department of the University of Western Australia
(UWA) from 1969 until his death.
He was a vocal critic of WA Inc
corruption and the Australian Labor Party
in Western Australia
(WA) in the 1980s, was embroiled in a university controversy, and was elected to the 1998 Australian Commonwealth Government's
People's Constitutional Convention
shortly before he died, in the same year
, St John's Marist Brothers School, Hawthorn
and St Kevin's Christian Brothers College, Toorak
. He graduated from the University of Melbourne in 1967 (BA with combined honours in history and political science).
In 1961, he married Valerie Joy Prowse, with whom he had one son and two daughters. Prior to embarking on his academic career at the University of Western Australia (UWA) in 1969, he had worked as a press and radio journalist for four years and gained eight years' experience of teaching in primary, secondary and senior technical education. At UWA, he became an associate professor in political science 'with a particular focus on twentieth century totalitarianism and was best known publicly for his involvement in two high-profile campaigns, as a leading critic of the Western Australian Burke Labor government ... and as a vocal direct-election republican'. After his death, UWA established a Patrick O'Brien Foundation 'in honour of his outstanding contribution to issues of public policy and political debate in Australia' with funds donated by colleagues, friends and admirers.
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...
political scientist and author, teaching in the political science department of the University of Western Australia
University of Western Australia
The University of Western Australia was established by an Act of the Western Australian Parliament in February 1911, and began teaching students for the first time in 1913. It is the oldest university in the state of Western Australia and the only university in the state to be a member of the...
(UWA) from 1969 until his death.
He was a vocal critic of WA Inc
WA Inc
WA Inc was a political scandal in Western Australia. In the 1980s, the state government, which was led for much of the period by premier Brian Burke, engaged in business dealings with several prominent businessmen, including Alan Bond, Laurie Connell and Warren Anderson...
corruption and 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...
in Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
(WA) in the 1980s, was embroiled in a university controversy, and was elected to the 1998 Australian Commonwealth Government's
Government of Australia
The Commonwealth of Australia is a federal constitutional monarchy under a parliamentary democracy. The Commonwealth of Australia was formed in 1901 as a result of an agreement among six self-governing British colonies, which became the six states...
People's Constitutional Convention
Australian Constitutional Convention 1998
The Australian Constitutional Convention 1998 was a Constitutional Convention which gathered at Old Parliament House, Canberra from 2–13 February 1998. It was called by the Howard Government to discuss whether Australia should become a republic...
shortly before he died, in the same year
Biography
O'Brien's parents were John Cornelius O'Brien and Monica Augusta Coore. He was educated at St Mary's Primary School, RingwoodRingwood, Victoria
Ringwood is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, east of Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Maroondah. At the 2006 Census, Ringwood had a population of 15,185....
, St John's Marist Brothers School, Hawthorn
Hawthorn, Victoria
Hawthorn is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Boroondara...
and St Kevin's Christian Brothers College, Toorak
Toorak, Victoria
Toorak is a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 5 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district located on a rise on the south side of a bend in the Yarra River. Its Local Government Area is the City of Stonnington...
. He graduated from the University of Melbourne in 1967 (BA with combined honours in history and political science).
In 1961, he married Valerie Joy Prowse, with whom he had one son and two daughters. Prior to embarking on his academic career at the University of Western Australia (UWA) in 1969, he had worked as a press and radio journalist for four years and gained eight years' experience of teaching in primary, secondary and senior technical education. At UWA, he became an associate professor in political science 'with a particular focus on twentieth century totalitarianism and was best known publicly for his involvement in two high-profile campaigns, as a leading critic of the Western Australian Burke Labor government ... and as a vocal direct-election republican'. After his death, UWA established a Patrick O'Brien Foundation 'in honour of his outstanding contribution to issues of public policy and political debate in Australia' with funds donated by colleagues, friends and admirers.
UWA controversy
In the early 1980s O'Brien was involved in a controversy centring on UWA, whose student guild and branch of the Australian Labor Party he had publicly criticised, resulting in critical student newspaper coverage. He was subsequently charged by the university with violating its by-laws, found innocent of striking a student, but guilty of using offensive language and urinating on a verandah at a party, though the charges were dismissed.Further reading
- Moon, J; Stone B (eds) Power and Freedom in Modern Politics: Essays in Honour of Patrick O’Brien UWA Press, Perth, 2002, 253pp
- Dymond, T Review of the above at Limina Reviews, University of Western Australia, Vol. 9, 2003, p. 180
- O'Brien, P Conference address The Australian Constitution at Australian Doctors' Fund, 1996