John Tonkin
John Trezise Tonkin (2 February 1902 – 20 October 1995) was the 20th Premier of Western Australia from 3 March 1971 to 8 April 1974.[1] He was from the Labor Party.
He was born in Boulder City in 1902.[2] Educated in local schools Tonkin became a teacher in rural Western Australia. An active member of the Labor Party, he was Prime Minister John Curtin's campaign manager for the 1943 election.[2] He was elected to the Western Australian parliament for the seat of North East Fremantle (1933–1950), and for the seat of Melville (1950–1977).[2] He was a Cabinet Minister (1943–1947), Deputy Premier (1953–1959), Leader of the Opposition (1967–1971 and 1974–1976), and Premier (1971–1974).[2] He retired from parliament in 1977 and died in 1995.
Early life
Albert Tonkin, born in Boulder, Western Australia, in 1902, became a teacher after attending Claremont Teachers College. He married Rosalie Maud Cleghorn in 1926 and later moved to Perth, where he taught and studied accounting.
References
- ↑ "Premiers of Western Australia". Western Australian Electoral Commission. 2012. Archived from the original on 20 March 2012. Retrieved 12 April 2012.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 "Interview of John Tonkin, 1976". espace.library.curtin.edu.au. 2012. Retrieved 3 March 2012.