Donald Robert "Don" Willesee (14 April 1916 - 9 September 2003) was an Australian politician, was a member of the Australian Senate for 25 years representing Western Australia, a Cabinet minister in the Whitlam government. Events 43 BC - Battle of Forum Gallorum: Mark Antony, besieging Julius Caesar 's assassin Decimus Junius Brutus in Year 1916 ( MCMXVI) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year Events 1000 - Battle of Svolder, Viking Age. 1379 - Treaty of Neuberg, splitting the Austrian Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. The Senate is the upper of the two houses of the Parliament of Australia. Western Australia is a state occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. Edward Gough Whitlam, AC, QC (born 11 July 1916 known as Gough Whitlam (ˈɡɒf goff is an Australian former politician and 21st
Willesee was born in Derby and educated at state and convent schools at Carnarvon. Derby ( post code: 6728 is a town in the Kimberley region of Western Australia. Carnarvon is a coastal town situated approximately 900 kilometres north of Perth, Western Australia. He left school at 14 when his father and brother lost their jobs during the Great Depression to work as a postal clerk in Carnarvon and immediately joined the Australian Union of Postal Clerks and Telegraphists and eventually became its secretary. The Communication Workers Union of Australia is a Trade union in Australia. He later worked as a telegraphist in Perth. Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. In 1940 he married Gwendoline Clarke. [1]
Political career
Willesee joined the Australian Labor Party when he was 21 and was elected as a senator for Western Australia in 1950 at the age 33, the youngest Australian senator elected up to that time. He worked with Whitlam to reform the Labor Party prior to the 1972 election. Issues The 1972 Election was largely focused on domestic policy issues and the role of the federal government in resolving these issues [1][2] According to Kim Beazley he was a ". For Kim Beazley's father Kim Beazley senior, see Kim Edward Beazley. . . key assistants to Gough Whitlam as he set about the task of restructuring the Labor Party . . . and made an intelligent, brilliant rabble fit for government. "[3]
Following the 1972 election, Willesee was appointed as Special Minister of State, Vice-President of the Executive Council, Minister assisting the Prime Minister and Minister assisting the Minister for Foreign Affairs in the second Whitlam Ministry (which followed the "two-man Ministry" from 5 December to 19 December 1972). In Australian politics the Special Minister of State (SMOS is responsible for defining parliamentary entitlements which includes responsibilities with Ministerial and Parliamentary Services The Vice-President of the Executive Council is a position in Australian governments whose holder acts as presiding officer of the Federal Executive Council in the The Second Whitlam Ministry was the forty-ninth Australian Commonwealth ministry, and ran from 19 December 1972 to 12 June 1974. Events 63 BC - Cicero reads the last of his Catiline Orations. Events 324 - Licinius abdicates his position as Roman Emperor. Year 1972 ( MCMLXXII) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. As Special Minister of State he endorsed the establishment of a computerised library information system to connect national, state and university libraries that has continued to evolve. [4] Whitlam relinquished the position of Minister for Foreign Affairs to him on 30 November 1973. Events 1700 - Battle of Narva — A Swedish army of 8500 men under Charles XII defeats Year 1973 ( MCMLXXIII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar of the 1973 Gregorian calendar. During this period he had major responsibility for implementing the Whitlam government's initiative in improving relations with Asia. He was opposed to Indonesia's invasion of East Timor and is quoted as having said in 1975:
There is no doubt that Gough felt East Timor should be incorporated within Indonesia. The Republic of Indonesia ( (Republik Indonesia is a Country in Southeast Asia. East Timor, also known as Timor-Leste (officially the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste) is a country in Southeast Asia. I just believed we should have left the decision to the East Timorese, without any suggestions or trying to lead them to Indonesia. That was the difference between myself and Gough.
—Don Willesee[1]
He did not stand for re-election at the 1975 double dissolution election. Federal elections were held in Australia on 13 December 1975 All 127 seats in the House of Representatives, and all 64 seats in the Senate were up for
Death
Willesee died in Joondalup Hospital, Joondalup two weeks after a heart attack, survived by his wife Gwen, and their six children, Colleen, Mike, Terry, Geraldine, Don junior and Peter. Joondalup is a northern suburb and regional city in Perth, Western Australia. Myocardial infarction ( MI or AMI for acute myocardial infarction) also known as a heart attack, occurs when the blood supply Michael Willesee (born June 29 1942) is an Australian television presenter [5]
At his death, the Prime Minster said,
In my acquaintance with him—and I know I speak for those of my party and the National Party who dealt with him when he was a member of parliament—he was a friendly, decent, courteous and forthright man, whom we respected across the political divide
According to the then leader of the opposition,
Don was a great human being, a man of immense integrity. The Prime Minister of Australia is the Head of government of the Commonwealth of Australia, holding office on commission from the Governor-General. See also Howard Government John Winston Howard AC (born 26 July 1939 was the 25th Prime Minister of Australia from 11 March This is a List of Australian Leaders of the Opposition, who in Australian Federal Politics is a Member of Parliament in the He was much loved by his staff, a passionate Labor man who never forgot the effects of the Great Depression. He never walked past a homeless kid without digging deep into his pockets.
Notes
- ^ a b c d John, Howard (10 September 2003). Simon Findlay Crean (born 26 February 1949) is an Australian Politician, and current Minister for Trade in the Australian Federal Government See also Howard Government John Winston Howard AC (born 26 July 1939 was the 25th Prime Minister of Australia from 11 March Events 506 - The Bishops of Visigothic Gaul meet in the Council of Agde. Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. Condolences: Willesee, Hon. Donald Robert. Hansard. Hansard is the traditional name for the printed transcripts of Parliamentary debates in the Westminster system of Government. Parliament of Australia. The Parliament of Australia or Commonwealth Parliament is the legislative branch of government of Australia. Retrieved on 2007-09-22. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 66 - Emperor Nero creates the Legion I Italica. 1236 - The Lithuanians
- ^ a b Crean, Simon (10 September 2003). Simon Findlay Crean (born 26 February 1949) is an Australian Politician, and current Minister for Trade in the Australian Federal Government Events 506 - The Bishops of Visigothic Gaul meet in the Council of Agde. Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. Condolences: Willesee, Hon. Donald Robert. Hansard. Hansard is the traditional name for the printed transcripts of Parliamentary debates in the Westminster system of Government. Parliament of Australia. The Parliament of Australia or Commonwealth Parliament is the legislative branch of government of Australia. Retrieved on 2007-09-22. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 66 - Emperor Nero creates the Legion I Italica. 1236 - The Lithuanians
- ^ Beazley, Kim (10 September 2003). For Kim Beazley's father Kim Beazley senior, see Kim Edward Beazley. Events 506 - The Bishops of Visigothic Gaul meet in the Council of Agde. Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. Condolences: Willesee, Hon. Donald Robert. Hansard. Hansard is the traditional name for the printed transcripts of Parliamentary debates in the Westminster system of Government. Parliament of Australia. The Parliament of Australia or Commonwealth Parliament is the legislative branch of government of Australia. Retrieved on 2007-09-22. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 66 - Emperor Nero creates the Legion I Italica. 1236 - The Lithuanians
- ^ Anderson, John (10 September 2003). John Duncan Anderson (born 14 November 1956) is an Australian politician. Events 506 - The Bishops of Visigothic Gaul meet in the Council of Agde. Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. Condolences: Willesee, Hon. Donald Robert. Hansard. Hansard is the traditional name for the printed transcripts of Parliamentary debates in the Westminster system of Government. Parliament of Australia. The Parliament of Australia or Commonwealth Parliament is the legislative branch of government of Australia. Retrieved on 2007-09-22. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 66 - Emperor Nero creates the Legion I Italica. 1236 - The Lithuanians
- ^ Stephens, Tony. "Labor star Willesee dies at 87", The Sydney Morning Herald, 10 September 2003. The Sydney Morning Herald ( SMH) is a daily Broadsheet Newspaper published by Fairfax Media in Sydney, Australia Events 506 - The Bishops of Visigothic Gaul meet in the Council of Agde. Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. Retrieved on 2007-09-22. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 66 - Emperor Nero creates the Legion I Italica. 1236 - The Lithuanians
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| New title | Special Minister of State 1972–1973 |
Succeeded by Lionel Bowen |
| Preceded by Alan Hulme |
Vice-President of the Executive Council 1972–1973 |
Succeeded by Frank Stewart |
| Preceded by Gough Whitlam |
Minister for Foreign Affairs 1973–1975 |
Succeeded by Andrew Peacock |
| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| NAME | Willesee, Donald |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Willesee, Don |
| SHORT DESCRIPTION | Australian politician |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 14 April 1916 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Derby, Western Australia |
| DATE OF DEATH | 9 September 2003 |
| PLACE OF DEATH | Joondalup, Western Australia |
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