John Tonkin

John Trezise Tonkin AC (b. 1902 in Boulder, Western Australia - d. 1995 in Perth) was a Premier of Western Australia (Australian Labor Party) between March 3 1971 and April 8 1974, taking power after the almost 12 year term of Liberal Sir David Brand. He was popularly known as "Honest John".

Tonkin served only a single term in government, one of the few in Australian or Western Australian State governance, as Labor was ousted in the 1974 State General election by the Liberals under Sir Charles Court. He stayed on after the election as State parliamentary leader of the ALP until his retirement in 1976 (Colin Jamieson succeeded him as Labor leader).

After his first wife and daughter died of cancer, Tonkin crusaded for many years for radio-wave therapy treatments for cancer sufferers; and he set up a treatment clinic run by cancer surgeon Dr John Holt in the Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital. At the time he married his second wife in the early 1970s, he was already renowned for his tireless support of the Tronado anti-cancer machine.

External links

* [http://www.ccentre.wa.gov.au/index.cfm?event=premiersJohntonkin Constitutional Centre biographical entry for John Tonkin]
* [http://www.cam.net.uk/home/nimmann/healing/john-holt-cancer-treatment.htm Australian Dr John Holt's Cancer Treatment]