Lindsay Thompson

Infobox Officeholder
name =Lindsay Thompson
honorific-suffix =

---

caption =
birth_date =birth date|1923|10|15|df=y
birth_place =Warburton, Victoria, Australia
death_date =death date and age|2008|7|16|1923|10|15|df=y
death_place = Malvern, Victoria, Australia
constituency =Malvern
party =Liberal Party of Australia
spouse =Joan Margaret Poynder
profession =
religion =Uniting Church
alma_mater = University of Melbourne


footnotes =
allegiance = Australia
branch = Australian Army
serviceyears = 1942–1945
rank = Signalman
unit =

Lindsay Hamilton Simpson Thompson AO, CMG (15 October 1923 – 16 July 2008), Australian Liberal Party politician, was the 40th Premier of Victoria from June 1981 to April 1982. He was also notable for his actions in the Faraday School kidnapping, and was the longest serving member of the Victorian Parliament in history. [ABC News (2008). [http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/07/17/2306311.htm Former Victorian premier Thompson dies] . Retrieved July 17, 2008.]

Early life and family

Thompson was born in Warburton, a town north-east of Melbourne. His parents were both schoolteachers. His father died when he was two, and he was raised by his mother in difficult circumstances.

He won a scholarship to Caulfield Grammar School and eventually graduated as both school captain and the dux of school. The school's new gymnasium was opened as the "Lindsay Thompson Centre" in 1997. [Caulfield Grammar School (2008). [http://www.caulfieldgs.vic.edu.au/default.asp?contentID=115 Caulfield] . Retrieved July 17, 2008.]

After service as a signalman in the Australian Army during World War II [ [http://www.ww2roll.gov.au/script/veteran.asp?ServiceID=A&VeteranID=512646 Thompson, Lindsay Hamilton Simpson] , WW2 Nominal Roll.] , he graduated from the University of Melbourne with degrees in Arts (Honours) and Education, and became a school teacher, teaching at Malvern Central Primary School and later at Melbourne High School.

In 1950 Thompson married Joan Poynder, and they had three children. Thompson's son Murray has been a member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly since 1992.

Political career

In 1955 he was elected to the Victorian Legislative Council in the Monash and Higginbotham Provinces as a Liberal, where he served until 1970, when he transferred to the Legislative Assembly as MP for Malvern.

In 1958 Thompson was appointed Assistant Chief Secretary in the government of Henry Bolte, and held office continuously until 1982, making him the longest-serving minister in Victoria's history. Of all federal and state ministers in Australian history, only the South Australian Sir Thomas Playford IV held ministerial office continuously for longer than Thompson. Lindsay Thompson served as Minister for Housing from 1961-1967, during which time many of Melbourne's controversial public housing towers were built. In 1967 he was appointed Minister for Education, and held this post until 1979, a record term. He presided over the major expansion of state education in Victoria during this period. In 1971 he became Deputy Premier.

Faraday hero

In 1972, a teacher and six school children were kidnapped at a school in the country town of Faraday by a man demanding a $1 million ransom. Thompson went to the site and was ready to personally deliver the ransom, but the teacher and children escaped from the van they were locked in before this was necessary. Thompson received a bravery award for his actions during the kidnapping.

Premier of Victoria

During the premiership of Rupert Hamer, Thompson was Chief Secretary, then Treasurer and Minister for Police and Emergency Services. On June 5, 1981, Hamer resigned and Thompson won a Liberal Party ballot to succeed him as Premier. The Liberals had been in power for 27 years and the new Labor leader, John Cain, was mounting a strong challenge to the government. At the March 1982 election the Liberals were heavily defeated and Thompson resigned as Liberal leader and from Parliament on November 5.

Awards

Thompson was made a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George on June 14, 1975 for serving as a minister. [Australian Honours (2006). [http://www.itsanhonour.gov.au/honours/honour_roll/search.cfm?aus_award_id=1066151&search_type=simple&showInd=true THOMPSON, Lindsay Hamilton Simpson CMG] . Retrieved June 12, 2006.] He was made an Officer of the Order of Australia on Australia Day in 1990 "for service to government and politics and to the Victorian Parliament". [Australian Honours (2006). [http://www.itsanhonour.gov.au/honours/honour_roll/search.cfm?aus_award_id=884485&search_type=simple&showInd=true THOMPSON, Lindsay Hamilton Simpson AO] . Retrieved June 12, 2006.] He also received a Centenary Medal in 2001.

Following his death

Following his passing many people have commented on what a amazing, kind, but humble man he was.At the funeral among other kind words, former Prime Minister John Howard said "I can honestly say I never heard anyone say a nasty thing about Lindsay Thompson, and I can tell you that has to be a first in Australian politics." [ [http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,24073889-2862,00.html Herald Sun] ]

References